Katsushika Hokusai

Revolutionized Japanese art through innovative techniques and global influence

Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) redefined ukiyo-e woodblock printing, blending traditional Japanese aesthetics with dynamic compositions. His seminal series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, including the iconic The Great Wave off Kanagawa, introduced perspective techniques inspired by European art while celebrating Japan's natural beauty.

Hokusai's experimental use of Prussian blue pigment created unprecedented visual depth, influencing later Impressionists like Monet and Van Gogh. At 70, he authored Hokusai Manga, a groundbreaking sketchbook series documenting everyday life that became a precursor to modern manga.

Despite suffering strokes and poverty in later life, his final work Dragon Rising above Mount Fuji (1849) demonstrated undiminished innovation. The Rijksmuseum notes his 30,000+ works fundamentally changed how the West perceived Japanese art during the 19th-century Japonisme movement.