Katsushika Hokusai's Influence On Japanese Culture

Japan’s literati paintings where inspired by China, which was only connected with Japan through Korea. One of the most famous painters of this style was Yosa Buson, using poetic ability with both haiku and his paintings. (Kleiner 1075) These changes soon led to the availability of cheap prints and ukiyo-e to depict the delights of the city. One of the most famous ukiyo-e printmakers was Suzuki Harunobu who influenced the development of polychrome prints. These prints were very sumptuous and colorful and called nishiki-e (“brocade pictures”). These prints were made of the best quality materials and costly pigments and were not very common in the Edo period. Harunobu’s genius in his work is well shown in the Evening Bell at the Clock (Fig. 34-1). This print was based on a Chinese series where the images depicted a certain time of day or time of year in the work. In Harunobu’s version, the subjects were beautiful young women and their activities in their daily lives. The two women in the pint are seen from a regular Japanese elevated point of view, with one drying herself and the other looking away at a clock. Private scenes like this were very common in ukiyo-e. Before Harunobu’s Evening Bell at the Clock, this theme was not a regular subject seen in ukiyo-e, but soon became a common sight. These prints used flatness and rich colors to

Ukiyo-e reflected the plays and stories in Japan as well as the landscapes and nature of Japan. They were impressed by the beauty of Japan itself and through Ukiyo-e they were able to see it for their selves. The flat style of the woodblock prints was unique compared to the style of the Western paintings. Without linear and rising perspective the Ukiyo-e prints highlighted certain aspects of Japanese life. For example in Hokusai’s Great Wave the waves off Kanagawa complete dwarf Mount Fuji.

“The Great Wave: Hokusai” by Donald Finkel is a poem written about “The Great Wave Off Kanagawa”, an artwork produced from 1831 to 1833 by Katsushika Hokusai during the Edo period. The “The Great Wave Off Kanagawa” is just one of "The Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji". This woodblock print portrays a tremendous tsunami overpowering small man-powered boats, along with Mount Fuji in the background. The compelling contrast between the turbulent waves and light colored sky draws the viewer’s eyes to the central figure of Mount Fuji, which was considered a sacred symbol of beauty and immortality. In order for Finkel to develop a connection with Hokusai’s work of art, he finds common ground between the world of the artist and the observer. Donald Finkel’s

Around the age of six years old, Hokusai began painting and even spent time as an apprentice wood-carver in his youth. He began the art of print making when he was eighteen. His most famous painting, The Great Wave, can be seen in museums all over the world even though Japan delayed it from catching on worldwide. Many believe that it was painted in the early 1800s, but Japan was not interacting culturally with other countries apart from trade with China and Korea. It wasn’t until 1859 when the Japanese were forced to open their ports that prints of The Wave spread across Europe. Originally, this piece wasn’t viewed as real art by Japanese politicians and art historians. Wood-block printing was used for commercial use and as a popular form of expression. The Japanese government wasn’t too thrilled “that such a seemingly lowbrow art form had come to define them” (15 Things). About five thousand to eight thousand prints were made but it is speculated that only a few hundreds of The Great Wave remain. The painting actually inspired music like Debussy’s La Mer.

Yasumasa Morimura is an internationally respected and controversial Japanese artist who through his art, represents social changes in Japanese culture, such as Western influences, politics and gender values. Morimura explores how Japan interacts with the World through the lens of the artist and how the artist creates an identity within his culture and the global community.

It is estimated that 5000-8000 prints were made during this process, which makes it very valuable. Although prints were one cheap, prints are actually very valuable now. In the print, it is shown that there is a mountain in the background, behind the wave. Which is kinda the whole point of the painting, “the great wave off Kanagawa”. In the print, it shows a wave, but this wave is not a tsunami but called things like “freak wave” or “monster wave”, which makes it nonetheless deadly. In the print, it is shown that there are boats trying to fight the wave, which is confused to be Japanese inspired but that's just its style. It's funny because Japanese politicians don't even view it as Japanese art, which is mostly why Hokusai considered it a failure. Japan even delayed this artwork from being catching on worldwide.

This was an influential import and made a huge impact on the Japanese community. There is a mixture of both drawn and photographed images within this chapter. Japanese artists mainly produced images that are printed or hand drawn, while western artists produced the photographed images. The chapter overall includes both a mixture of Japanese and western artists. The images within the chapter portray the viewpoint of the artist who was present at the time of the

By analyzing the history of Kusama, a fundamental explanation or motive for the themes of Kusama’s art can be gleaned. Yayoi Kusama was born in 1929 in Matsumoto, Japan during a tumultuous time of economic crises. The Japanese population was extremely oppressed by the Japanese military as the Great Depression reached Japan. Kusama began to express enthusiasm in making art as she began exhibiting her work in her teens; however, her family was not supportive of her interest and tried to influence her towards a conventional path of becoming a traditional Japanese housewife. Kusama’s relationship with her family, and especially the relationship with her mother, was a contributing factor to her anger against any kind of political and social oppression. Kusama’s mother was a disciplinarian figure in the family and tried to force her daughter to follow traditional gender roles, which disregarded Kusama’s aspiration of professionally pursuing art. However, Kusama’s creative ambitions were not curtailed by her family’s conflicting interests or the demanding work called upon her following the outbreak of World War Two.

As we look towards to the back of the painting we see the mountains getting smaller and becomes blurry. Next, there is movement. We know waves crash and in the front

Yayoi Kusama was born in Japan in 1929. She is a well-known artist of pop art, minimalism and surrealism. Before she movsed to New York in 1956, she studied painting in Kyoto. Her artwork is not only limited with different paintings, but also environment, sculpture, performance art, film, installation, fashion and so on.

Western Influence on Japan Japan, as a nation, is a continually changing society. Ever since western nations became involved with Japan, its changes over recent times have increased at a substantial rate. Japan now faces cultural, economical and social differences as a result of the western involvement. The involvement was initiated by the Japanese themselves, beginning during the Meiji Period1 through current times.

Considered one of the more known names in the contemporary art world, Japanese artist Takashi Murakami 's work is popping with overly saturated colors and otaku, making it immediately recognizable. Born in Tokyo in 1962, Murakami

There are three artists who associated Katsushika Hokusai are Claude Monet, Claude Debussy and David Hockney.

Almost instantaneously recognizable, The Great Wave off Kanagawa (woodblock, 10 1/8 x 14 15/16 in, c. 1830-32), created by Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai in 1830, beautifully captures the graceful, swelling movement of a crashing tsunami. Because of the way in which line and proportion are utilized, this woodblock print gracefully portrays the sheer power of the ocean. Derived from the Edo period in nineteenth century Japan, this classic was the first of a series of works from Hokusai titled Thirty-six views of Mount Fuji, all of which effortlessly depict the mountain in a wide array of angles and scenery. Arguably, The Great Wave off Kanagawa is the most iconic and cherished piece of Japanese artwork in the world. Even more importantly, Hokusai is considered prominent father figure for both Japanese art, as well as Western modernization as a whole. The Great Wave truly displays how tiny and weak man is compared to the force of nature. Not only is The Great Wave a quintessential piece of art, but it established a piece in the comprehensive networks of art, trade, and politics, that has instilled a tremendous positive impact on the twenty first century.

A famous Japanese writer Ihara Saikaku, born in 1642, was a son of a wealthy merchant in Osaka. He had a wife and three kids, one of which was blind and in addition to taking care of his family, he learned to write haikai poetry and comics at a young age. Since his wife died at a young age, he became adventurous as “he traveled extensively writing about the various parts of the country” (Rollins, para.4). One of his first novels is called Koshoku Ichidai Otoko in 1682, which led to Saikaku becoming the first Japanese writer able to reflect the life of the modern city Japan and how he supported equality.