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Hokusai: Prints and Drawings
Book by Forrer, Matthi
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1988
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 7, 2016
Many folks are familiar with at least one of Hokusai's works - the oft copied Wave. Others may be familiar with the series of prints it comes from offering woodblock views of Mount Fuji.
This volume lays out all kinds of work by Hokusai - and shows the many different styles he worked in over his long life. It fascinating to see not only how he influenced Western Art but how he also absorbed and adapted in his work.
Generously illustrated.
This volume lays out all kinds of work by Hokusai - and shows the many different styles he worked in over his long life. It fascinating to see not only how he influenced Western Art but how he also absorbed and adapted in his work.
Generously illustrated.
April 18, 2026
I enjoyed this introduction to Hokusai's life and collection of his works. Scattered thoughts:
1. He worked very hard and produced a lot. Apparently he lived ceaselessly for his works; 30,000 designs produced.
2. Because of that, the prints are hit and miss. Not everything is great.
3. The Great Wave, however cliched, is still really brilliant. The wave itself is still vital, and I learned that if you read from right to left as is traditional, it's more about man taking on nature than the triumph of nature.
4. My favourite discovery was the waterfalls, which are so different to Western representations and texturally interesting throughout.
5. Apparently he's greatly influenced by Western art; his commerciality is also clear, producing copious illustrations of poetry and novellas.
6. There is a totally weird erotic section at the end with an octopus section and dramatically sized organs. Really quite strange and unexpected in a nice coffee-table book.
7. Apparently much is lost, particularly of the early works, through a mixture of decay, economic hardship due to famine, and bombings in WWII. The book also notes great censorship in Japan at the time.
1. He worked very hard and produced a lot. Apparently he lived ceaselessly for his works; 30,000 designs produced.
2. Because of that, the prints are hit and miss. Not everything is great.
3. The Great Wave, however cliched, is still really brilliant. The wave itself is still vital, and I learned that if you read from right to left as is traditional, it's more about man taking on nature than the triumph of nature.
4. My favourite discovery was the waterfalls, which are so different to Western representations and texturally interesting throughout.
5. Apparently he's greatly influenced by Western art; his commerciality is also clear, producing copious illustrations of poetry and novellas.
6. There is a totally weird erotic section at the end with an octopus section and dramatically sized organs. Really quite strange and unexpected in a nice coffee-table book.
7. Apparently much is lost, particularly of the early works, through a mixture of decay, economic hardship due to famine, and bombings in WWII. The book also notes great censorship in Japan at the time.
June 15, 2021
A wonderfully diverse sampling of Hokusai's enormous body of work, exceptionally presented.
That said, if you don't need the notes, I find that https://www.hokusai-katsushika.org/ has a more complete collection of Hokusai's work than any existing monograph, often with superior image quality, including several variants of each print.
That said, if you don't need the notes, I find that https://www.hokusai-katsushika.org/ has a more complete collection of Hokusai's work than any existing monograph, often with superior image quality, including several variants of each print.
June 18, 2019
vote is not for the book, for the 130+ prints inside.
March 12, 2022
اگه کتاب برای خود هوکوسای بزرگ بود ۵ میدادم
November 30, 2022
Outstanding Hokusai coffee table book.
January 13, 2010
Great paperback for the price -- superb prints done in Munich. Representative of a lifetime of art that lasted almost 90 years. Shows many aspects of Hokusai that normally would not be seen, some of the finest selections ever. This is a catalog done for the Royal Academy of Arts, London, exhibition in 1991-1992. This reprint is from 2004.
October 8, 2014
Read this while doing research on Hokusai and his "36 Views of Mount Fuji". While it has some good information and people pieces of art work, I wish there had been analysis and criticism of the art, so I could better understand the style of this great artist. Very interesting to read none the less.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews