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Hokusai: A Life in Drawing
A beautifully illustrated introduction to Katsushika Hokusai (1760 - 1849), the most prolific and diverse artist of Japan's Edo period, and master of ukiyo-e - 'images of the floating world'.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1985
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 19, 2021
Hokusai (1760-1849)
Hokusai was a Japanese painter who lived and worked in Edo (now Tokyo) Japan.
He became world-known.
Two of his works are instantly recognized:
Mount Fuji: (1830) (one of 36)
The Wave: including Mount Fuji (1835)
Comparable to Hokusai:
Paul Cezanne (1839-1906) was a French painter of the Impressionist style.
He lived and worked in and around Aix-en-Provence, Southern France.
Cezanne also had a liking for painting a mountain, the ‘Mont St Victoire’.
About a dozen different paintings are related to this subject.
Cezanne in his Impressionist style painted oil on canvas with swift bold brushstrokes, not shy of vivid colours, to create an impression of what he saw.
Hokusai used different techniques.
His basic drawing creations were produced with black ink on paper. It is thought that he created over thirty thousand drawings. He liked to call himself ‘an artist mad about drawing’.
He also painted in a sophisticated classic style. Coloured ink on satin for a series of famous actors and courtesans as well as flowers butterflies’ birds and fishes. These works are of extreme precision in detail and beauty in colour.
His outstanding works however are colour prints produced in ancient woodblock style.
For this kind of product, he would create an initial draft in black ink. A woodcarver would then create the first basic block and then an additional block for each subsequent colour to be applied. An editor would then produce the prints.
As the result could easily produce something not corresponding to the artist's imagination, Hokusai followed every step of the work with detailed instructions. Letters of instructions have been preserved to this day.
Another invention of Hokusai’s long and creative life was the Manga. These are countless drawings of human actions in moving positions. Farmworkers, labourers, porters, fishers, fat people, skinny people, children, elders, women of every trade and activity.
The Manga was certainly the predecessor of modern cartoons.
An outstanding difference of Hokusai’s work with any other artist is the movement created by wind and rain.
His work seems to be alive with movement as if the butterflies would lift off the paper and fishes would jump out of the water.
He was proud of his work but never satisfied, he wanted to grow to an age of one hundred years to become a real painter. However, that was denied him. He died at the age of eighty-nine.
There will be no need to recommend this book. All lovers of art and painting know it already.
https://www.google.com/search?client=...
Hokusai was a Japanese painter who lived and worked in Edo (now Tokyo) Japan.
He became world-known.
Two of his works are instantly recognized:
Mount Fuji: (1830) (one of 36)
The Wave: including Mount Fuji (1835)
Comparable to Hokusai:
Paul Cezanne (1839-1906) was a French painter of the Impressionist style.
He lived and worked in and around Aix-en-Provence, Southern France.
Cezanne also had a liking for painting a mountain, the ‘Mont St Victoire’.
About a dozen different paintings are related to this subject.
Cezanne in his Impressionist style painted oil on canvas with swift bold brushstrokes, not shy of vivid colours, to create an impression of what he saw.
Hokusai used different techniques.
His basic drawing creations were produced with black ink on paper. It is thought that he created over thirty thousand drawings. He liked to call himself ‘an artist mad about drawing’.
He also painted in a sophisticated classic style. Coloured ink on satin for a series of famous actors and courtesans as well as flowers butterflies’ birds and fishes. These works are of extreme precision in detail and beauty in colour.
His outstanding works however are colour prints produced in ancient woodblock style.
For this kind of product, he would create an initial draft in black ink. A woodcarver would then create the first basic block and then an additional block for each subsequent colour to be applied. An editor would then produce the prints.
As the result could easily produce something not corresponding to the artist's imagination, Hokusai followed every step of the work with detailed instructions. Letters of instructions have been preserved to this day.
Another invention of Hokusai’s long and creative life was the Manga. These are countless drawings of human actions in moving positions. Farmworkers, labourers, porters, fishers, fat people, skinny people, children, elders, women of every trade and activity.
The Manga was certainly the predecessor of modern cartoons.
An outstanding difference of Hokusai’s work with any other artist is the movement created by wind and rain.
His work seems to be alive with movement as if the butterflies would lift off the paper and fishes would jump out of the water.
He was proud of his work but never satisfied, he wanted to grow to an age of one hundred years to become a real painter. However, that was denied him. He died at the age of eighty-nine.
There will be no need to recommend this book. All lovers of art and painting know it already.
https://www.google.com/search?client=...
January 4, 2022
This book should have been five stars, and I am tempted to still give it that for the images and quality of the text itself. I initially picked this book up after an impromptu visit to The British Museum. I absolutely love Japanese woodblock printing in all its forms and was delighted to find an exhibition on Hokusai, arguably the greatest Eastern artist. Although my favourite artist is still Hiroshige, this book opened my eyes to the beauty of Hokusai's work. It is a gorgeous selection that I am proud to have in my collection.
Unfortunately, the text accompanying it by Henri-Alexis Baatsch lets the book down. 'Hokusai: A Life in Drawing' would have been five stars if not for Baatsch. The text was riddled with spelling and grammatical errors that are unacceptable for a book with a price tag such as this. The text itself is not even that detailed and glosses over particular vital works and events. For example, the Great Wave, Hokusai's most memorable work, is wholly misinterpreted. Baatsch manages to take a fascinating subject and figure and reduce him to the most pretentious cliches of the art world. Usually, I would look past it. Baatsch's name is on the cover and this Goodreads entry, though, and I had to remove a star.
Ultimately, if you are interested in woodblock printing or any other mediums Hokusai worked in, this book is well worth owning. If I were to reread it, though, I would just admire the images.
Unfortunately, the text accompanying it by Henri-Alexis Baatsch lets the book down. 'Hokusai: A Life in Drawing' would have been five stars if not for Baatsch. The text was riddled with spelling and grammatical errors that are unacceptable for a book with a price tag such as this. The text itself is not even that detailed and glosses over particular vital works and events. For example, the Great Wave, Hokusai's most memorable work, is wholly misinterpreted. Baatsch manages to take a fascinating subject and figure and reduce him to the most pretentious cliches of the art world. Usually, I would look past it. Baatsch's name is on the cover and this Goodreads entry, though, and I had to remove a star.
Ultimately, if you are interested in woodblock printing or any other mediums Hokusai worked in, this book is well worth owning. If I were to reread it, though, I would just admire the images.
January 18, 2025
Très charmant, autant dans le fond que dans la forme, même si je ne l'ai pas vraiment lu, je suis heureuse d'avoir découvert plus d'estampes et je me sens ~cultivée ~
August 25, 2024
I’m giving 5 stars for the quality of the images and the tactile experience that I had while reading it and only 3 stars for the text, which I thought focused way too much on his life rather than on his art. The sentences felt complicated for no good reason, as if the author tried to show us he can handle some complex grammar structures.
Overall, this is a fairly decent intro for anyone interested in Hokusai's work and the Edo period.
Overall, this is a fairly decent intro for anyone interested in Hokusai's work and the Edo period.
July 30, 2021
I’ve been a fan of Hokusai for a while but had no idea of the range of work he created in his life and really liked seeing the selection of work presented in the book as it seems to be a good sample of all the genres he tried.
This copy is bound so beautifully and even the paper it is printed on seems special and fancy.
February 16, 2019
Esteetika kõigepealt: tõenäoliselt kõige ilusam teos mu raamatukogus. Paelaga suletav, kangast kaaned, kahekihiliste volditud lehtedega köide ja kõikjal suurepärased illustratsioonid. Ka kirjatüüp on iseäralik, jättes ebamaise mulje ja kohati tundub nagu loeksin mingis muus keeles peale inglise. (Võib olla kujundaja poolt taotluslik otsust sisust lähtudes ja seda võib muidugi ka võtta negatiivse küljena, olenevalt lugejast.)
Autor on sümpaatne. Tekst on tihe, loominguline, kuid enamasti kergelt haaratav. Nõuab mõningaid eelnevaid teadmiseid kunstiajaloost ja selle Aasia eripäradest (mida endal loen puudulikuks), aga mitte midagi ületamatut. Mida rohkem on lugejal tausta, seda paremini mõistab ta Hokusai omapärasust Edo ajastu Jaapanis.
Hokusai töö ja illustratsioonid - amazing. Tekst on pigem üks pikk essee, suurem rõhk langeb mahu osas kunstile.
Autor on sümpaatne. Tekst on tihe, loominguline, kuid enamasti kergelt haaratav. Nõuab mõningaid eelnevaid teadmiseid kunstiajaloost ja selle Aasia eripäradest (mida endal loen puudulikuks), aga mitte midagi ületamatut. Mida rohkem on lugejal tausta, seda paremini mõistab ta Hokusai omapärasust Edo ajastu Jaapanis.
Hokusai töö ja illustratsioonid - amazing. Tekst on pigem üks pikk essee, suurem rõhk langeb mahu osas kunstile.
February 3, 2024
This book was interesting but the author expatiate a lot on Hokusai's life, I expected some more informations on famous work of arts. Some grammar mistakes in the beginning which is disappointing when you know the price, the illustrations were high quality. Would recommend this book if you're intersted in Hokusai's life and ukiyo-e.
December 30, 2022
the 3 stars are not because of the art of Hokusai (which are superb), but rather the boring and not really informative essay, the structure of the book and the paper used (which I don't think present the pictures in the best way)
but if you are (as me) a fan of ukiyo-e, still worth the purchase.
but if you are (as me) a fan of ukiyo-e, still worth the purchase.
January 18, 2018
Made me wonder why art books always use shitty fonts. But the book itself was interesting, although I wished some of the pictures were larger.
January 31, 2018
A gem of a book.
August 14, 2018
One of those books you can start, but you can’t finish really. You can only say you read the text. The illustrations though, I know I’ll be getting back to them again and again and again.
August 16, 2019
Another of my art books bought for the prints it shows, I'm happy with the book it's a rare cloth covered one with ribbon to tie it shut.
Good coffee table book
Good coffee table book
June 19, 2023
Livre objet magnifique en soi. Le contenu est tout aussi beau.
May 27, 2025
I read this in one sitting, lovely pictures to see and learn about this amazing painter and the world he lived in. How wonderfully art can capture a society's atmosphere, their fear and joy.
September 2, 2025
Tout simplement magnifique, avec d' innombrables dessins, estampes etc., et très bien documenté. un vrai bonheur.
December 24, 2024
i(my bookshelf) remain(s) forever a slave to beauty
bought this for the pretty pictures and was not disappointed
(to truly understand art one must understand the artist, which is why buying pretty books about art is important)
bought this for the pretty pictures and was not disappointed
(to truly understand art one must understand the artist, which is why buying pretty books about art is important)
October 3, 2019
Oh
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 30, 2020
Très belle édition, avec un très bon choix sur toutes les périodes de l'artiste.
Seulement le texte n'est pas au niveau de l'ensemble.
Seulement le texte n'est pas au niveau de l'ensemble.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews