Hokusai: Beyond the Great Wave

by Timothy Clark (Editor), Roger S. Keyes

An acknowledged master during his lifetime, Hokusai created sublime works during the last thirty years of his life, right up to his death at the age of ninety. Exhibitions since the 1980s have presented his long career as a chronological sequence. This publication, which will coincide with an exhibition at the British Museum, takes a fresh approach based on innovative scholarship: thematic groupings of late works are related to the major spiritual and artistic quests of Hokusai’s life.

Hokusai’s personal beliefs are contemplated here through analyses of major brush paintings, drawings, woodblock prints, and illustrated books. The publication gives due attention to the contribution of Hokusai’s daughter Eijo (Oi), also an accomplished artist. Hokusai continually explored the mutability and minutiae of natural phenomena in his art. His late subjects and styles were based on a mastery of eclectic Japanese, Chinese, and European techniques and an encyclopedic knowledge of nature, myth, and history.

Hokusai: Beyond the Great Wave draws on the finest collections of his work in Japan and around the world, making this the most important publication for years on Hokusai and a uniquely valuable overview of the artist’s late career.

Genres: Art, Japan, Nonfiction, History, Asia

352 pages, Hardcover

Published October 10, 2017

About the author

Timothy Clark is Head of the Japanese Section in the Department of Asia at the British Museum.

Reviews

[E. G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sponsor's Foreword
Director's Foreword

Preface: Hokusai: The Final Years, by Roger S. Keyes

Essays
--Late Hokusai, Backwards, Timothy Clark
--Hokusai's Thought, Angus Lockyer
--The Power of Hokusai's Line, Matsuba Ryōko
--Hokusai in Old Age - His Ideas, His Way, Asano Shūgō
--Hokusai and Late Tokugawa Society, Alfred Haft

Catalogue
--Hokusai from Twenty to Sixty
--Mt Fuji and the Great Wave
--Worlds Seen
--Hokusai's World
--Immortality

Select Bibliography
Illustration Credits
List of Lenders
List of Contributors
Author Acknowledgments
Index

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meraviglioso!

[Domhnall · Rating 5 out of 5]

The text is surprisingly accessible, which in art books is unusual, and it has been a delight to read the commentary alongside each of the many beautiful illustrations. The book is just a wonderful object in its own right, while Hokusai is a delightful character.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of those lovely coffee table books loaded with lots of high quality images and an assortment of essays. Printed on quality paper with a well crafted hardcover.

The illustrations cover his prints, paintings and some items like some carved wooden panels for a portable shrine. Also a reminder how popular China was in late-Edo Japan, the Tang poets, Water Margin, etc.

Don't drop it on your toes, it would hurt.

[Leonardo Etcheto · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great catalog. Very interesting. I wish I could have seen the installation. it was fascinating how he improved and how he blended traditional Japanese style with western style and made some really incredible drawings and paintings. My favorite of the whole catalog is Dragon rising above Mt. Fuji. But there are a ton of incredible ones.

He kept improving with age, his best know work is from when he was in his seventies. A truly fascinating period of history - Japan during the Tokugawa, especially with the opening again to the west. Incredible the melding of styles and cultures.

Great articles and great pictures of the works.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains hundreds of high quality, stunning Images from 19th century Japan created by one of that country’s best known artists. A few I had seen before, but most of these prints and paintings were new to me. The essays are well written and insightful, and the text accompanying each image is informative. Highlights include the very creative “36 views of Mt. Fuji”, which includes artist Hokusai’s iconic Great Wave. There also are mystical images of dragons, birds, poets, samurai and all classes of Japanese people. I especially enjoyed the paintings done in ink and color on silk from the last two years of the artist’s life. He never lost his talent or ran out of ideas.

[Phillip · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 / 5.0

Beautiful Artwork enhanced by clear curation and editing. Exceptionally well arranged. Detailed Informative notes and descriptions of individual artworks. Large format printing of pictures enables editor to point out intricate details. Topical arrangement and Introductions to Sections are well organized and well thought out.

[Mauhritz Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

The discipline, the dedication, a life time one. Seriously, I only knew one artform of his before reading this book, but wew, what a life! And sorry, but why was he so malas? Hahaha naigu man sa kilat uy

[Merahnaga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jika saja tidak out of stock

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Splendid.

[King]

Beautiful beautiful. What a thorough collection.