Hokusai

The Tokyo National Museum celebrates Japan’s greatest master

Drunken Beauty, color on silk Courtesy of the Ujiie Ukiyoe Collection

Katsushika Hokusai, who died in 1849 at the age of 89, once famously reflected, “At 90, I’ll have penetrated the mystery of things. At 100 I shall have reached something marvelous, but when I am 110 everything I do, the smallest dot, will be alive.” This latest survey of the great master is a demonstration of the dedication and abundant vitality this prolific Edo-era artist had for his work. The astonishing numbers of prints, paintings and drawings on display follow a life lived in pursuit of a craft, and show that each of Hokusai’s dabs and brushstrokes are, more than he himself believed, alive.

As expected, the National Museum’s crowded walls offer an exhaustive look into the distinguished draftsman’s life and imagery. In fact, more than it is exhaustive, the exhibition is thoroughly exhausting. The nearly 500 pieces gathered from collections throughout Japan, Europe and the United States make “Hokusai” a stunning but ultimately overwhelming experience.

Perennial favorites like A Hundred Haunted Tales and the renowned masterpieces in the Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji series are featured heavily but, far more interestingly, the exhibition also makes a welcome point of giving less-recognizable images equal billing. Among these is the delicate series of prints entitled Views of Enoshima, which are rendered in a Dutch-influenced style that shows off Hokusai’s take on Western perspective. A careful look at their roiling waves of surf reveals that a meticulous relief impression, rather than ink, creates the idyllic water effects.

A Mild Breeze on a Fine Day, from Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, print Courtesy of the Musee National des Arts Asiatiques Guimet

Another work of particular note is the painting Daruma from the Katsushika Hokusai period (so named because the artist used several pseudonyms throughout his life). Powerful vermillion strokes create a pulsating sense of energy around a cloaked figure staring out intensely from the center of the scroll. The slashing sumi ink brushstrokes that define the form radiate both the intense concentration and unbridled openness of Hokusai at his most passionate.

Others not to be overlooked include the exquisitely detailed Sori period piece Drunken Beauty and the remarkably abstract composition Flying Crows and Willow (1841).

With the enormous crowds “Hokusai” is attracting, it’s unfortunate that the curators decided on a mostly uniform placement for the exhibition. Most works hang tightly together on the outer walls of the gallery, and lead visitors from piece to piece as though cued in line at the train station. Truly important works are given no special placement, resulting in image-blocking crowds and a dull staccato cadence to the show. By the time viewers reach the final room, fatigue has set in and it becomes difficult to relax and enjoy each piece on its own merits.

Yet the images themselves are the focus, and their ever-alive and captivating forms readily affirm the relevance and influence they continue to have in the contemporary art world. Walking among these celebrated icons of Japan’s past, one begins to understand how Hokusai’s images, rather than simply being a part of history, have defined it.

Tokyo National Museum, until Dec 4. See exhibition listings (Ueno) for details.

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