すみだ北斎美術館－THE SUMIDA HOKUSAI MUSEUM – the most famous Japanese painter-also called aging madman to master the ultimate picture (July. 2019-No.22）
The Sumida Hokusai Museum of Art（すみだ北斎美術館） opened in November 2016 on the land where Katsushika Hokusai(1760-1849) was born. It is 400 meters east of Ryogoku Station on the JR Sobu Line and Toei Subway Oedo Line. In the vicinity, there are Ryogoku Kokugikan, which is famous for sumo wrestling, and the Edo-Tokyo Museum. The Hokusai-kan（北斎館）, located in Obuse, Nagano Prefecture（長野県小布施町）, which opened in 1976, is famous as an art museum with the theme of Hokusai. Obuse is a small local town, but it is now one of the most popular spots for tourists from abroad.
Speaking of Katsushika Hokusai, the print which drew the big wave and the small boat which can see Mount Fuji in the distance is especially famous. He is a world-renowned painter, and drew the whole universe and presented over 30,000 works in his life. The museum displays many small pictures drawn by Hokusai. This time, a large number of high-definition copies of Hokusai's autographs owned by the American Furia Museum（フーリア美術館） were displayed. The museum is said to have the best collection in the world in Hokusai's autographs. However, these belongings are considered non-portable, and it is impossible to see them in Japan. Therefore, Canon, a camera manufacturer, processed these autographs, printed them, and displayed them here. Certainly, it is great to be able to see like real and subtle pictures. Still, is it a luxury that we want to see the real things?
However, one American businessman recognized Hokusai's value more than Japanese at that time, and collected many Hokusai's works. I think that we should be thankful that Hokusai's paintings were preserved in good condition. Because they are left as a common heritage of humanity, and we can still see his works today.
Hokusai and his daughter. He was 84 years old at that time. I learned about Hokusai's daughter in Japanese animation, "crape myrtle（百日紅 さるすべり）". I think this animation is one of the masterpieces of Japanese animations. She was also a painter recognized by Hokusai. It is reported that he had more than 200 disciples. He was not interested in money or fame at all, just wanted to draw a real picture.
There are many drawings of Hokusai that never gets tired even if you look at it. Very funy!
Why did he call himself a aging madman to master the ultimate picture? He continued to paint vigorously until he died at the age of 88, saying that he might be able to draw a living picture in a little more.
The Great Wave off Kanagawa. This woodcut print is one of Hokusai's representative works of Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji. In the late Edo period, woodcut printing became widespread, and the common people could get the best art at a cheap price.
