What We Know About Hokusai

Although we know more, I suppose, of the events of in Hokusai's life than those of almost any other of the great Japanese artists, that does not mean that his life is documented to a degree comparable to that usual in the case of European painter of equal eminence of the same period. Concerning long periods of his life there is more or less complete silence.- J. Hiller.

Hokusai's work as an artist started in 1778 and endged with his death is 1849.

He was Born Takitaro Hokusai or Kawamura Tokitaro

We know he may have been adopted

Hokusai's Father:

Some say his father was Kawamura Ichiroyemon —A Noble.

Some say his father Nakajima Ise—A Famous Mirrormaker

We know nothing of his mother

It is believed that at the age of Twelve, Hokusai informed his father that he wished to be an artist.

His Father, apparently consented, but there is no mention as to whether he was happy or not.

Hokusai's life reads like a string of failures.

Every teacher he ever worked with or companion, either threw him out or broke off their friendship with him.

One of the Sources, for the history of Hokusai was the play by Gustav Eckstein which does extrapalate. heavily

Kawamaro Tokitaro,

Tetzuo 1779 Shunro Katsukawa

1780 Tokitaro

Because Hokusai illustrated so many of these, there is evidence that "Hokusai. from the age of twenty, had mastered his mother tongue sufficiently well to be able to set down a readable story, a fact that gives him a hint of study of literature from an early age, and would help to account for the astonishingly encyclopaedic knowledge of Japanese history." (15).

Hokusai died, brush in hand at eighty-nine. his nearest Rivals, Michaelangelo, Titian, , Verdi and Sibelius, but the creative span of each was years shorter than Hokusai's.

His wastrel life induced a stroke at the age of sixt-eight. "many of the prints designed by Hokusai up to about 1790 are of actors in character." (17).

Honjo Pupil of Katsukawa Shunsho Ukiyo-ye in 1785 Hokusai was thrown out of the school of Shunsho because he flirted with using Kano's style.

1796 He changed his name to Gummatei

Hokusia allowed himself more art names than any other artist in Japanese History.

1796 Hyakurin Sori

1798 Soji

1799 Sori

1800 Shinsai

1804 Gwakyojin Hokusai

1806 He took the name Katsushika , a name from the district in which he was born. A measure of a man assured his place.

1807 He collaborated with Bokin to illustrate his novels. which was supposed to be one of the more famous events in his life.

1820 Taito

From 1748 to 1806 the play that was quite popular was that of the 47 Ronin 1804 Shogun Iyenari Shazanro Buncho The legends That he could draw on a grain of Rice and did before the Shogun That he painted the feet of a rooster and had it run across a piece of paper. that he was adept with both hands at drawing that he Adopting in turn a total of more that fifty different names--he did not take the name by which we know him, until he was 46 years old happi -Women in his life. -His mother -Mitzuko (his first Wife) -Murako (Geisha Girl it is rumored Hokusai had an affair with) -His Daughter, Oyei, looked after him in his old age. (Oei) His knick name for her was Chin-chin. "Although Hokusai married twice, litttle is known of of his wives, except that they were both seperated from him, either by divorce or death." pg 90 Exile in the town ofUraga from 1834-1836 When Hokusai died in 1849 he died brush in hand in his one driving force was the urge to draw.