HOKUSAI MANGA - A THREE VOLUME COLLECTION

In 1814, the Japanese artist, Katsushika Hokusai, published an assortment of his illustrations, over 4,000 in total, which became so revered, so praised, and so profound for their time, that they still live on today, care of Thames and Hudson, who’ve decided to publish them in an elegant three-volume collection.


Hokusai Manga (Paperback)


Each book in the collection conveys themes, motifs, and drawing techniques we now see in manga, a more modern style of Japanese art, doing so by boldly depicting caricatures and multi-paneled illustrations that form the basis of sequential storytelling. Structurally, these three books follow the same traditional Japanese style and size as Hokusai’s original sketchbooks, with each volume highlighting specific subjects and ideas that he wanted to convey.

Volume One, for instance, explores Edo Life, the life and manners of the day, which studies habits and objects featured in everyday living, ranging from architecture, body posture, to facial expressions, all in a diverse exploration of Hokusai’s masterly style. Volume Two, on the other hand, moves onto The Wonders of Nature, which encapsulates animals, rock faces, landscapes, weather, and scenes of natural beauty. Whereas the Third Volume, entitled, Flights of Fancy, presents images relating to the supernatural, the fanciful, and the mythical, that narrates legends and showcases fantastical creatures. What now follows are a selection of drawings you can expect to see from these books. Please enjoy.

Hokusai Manga

Author: Katsushika Hokusai.

Format: Paperback in Slipcase.

Publisher: Thames and Hudson.

Price: £25.
Number of pages: 1040 pages.
Number of books: 3 books.
Size: 148x105mm.

Synopsis: This collection of books is elegantly compiled in a slipcase for an immersive experience into one of Japan’s greatest artists. His name was Katsushika Hokusai, he was born in the city of Edo (now Tokyo), and he was generally known for being the author of the woodblock print series, 'Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji', which includes the internationally iconic print, 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa'. He came into this world on the 31st of October, 1760, and he eventually passed away on the 10th of May, 1849. On his deathbed, he allegedly told those around him, "If only Heaven will give me just another ten years, just another five more years, then I could become a real painter". If only he knew.

Now for any more information please don't hesitate to check out the Thames and Hudson website, facebook, and twitter pages. Or better yet, pick up a copy via Amazon.