The artist

Born in Edo province (now Tokyo) to unknown parents, Katsushika Hokusai (1760 - 1849) is perhaps the most famous Japanese artist. A precocious young talent for drawing, he earned his living in a xylography workshop during his youth. Prolific, he published in 1814 the first of fifteen volumes of "Hokusai Manga", a sketchbook of drawings of all kinds, which represents life as it was during the Edo era. Anxious to make his prints known, whether erotic or fantastic, he travelled around Japan in search of recognition. He only obtained recognition as a landscape painter, combining his mastery of Japanese techniques with those of Western perspective. Hosukai's work includes at least 30,000 drawings and prints, which will constitute a major aesthetic shock in Europe and will influence certain artists of the late 19th century.

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