Picture Album Transmitting the Spirit: The Hokusai Drawing Style (Denshin gafu Hokusai gashiki) 1819

"Picture Album Transmitting the Spirit: The Hokusai Drawing Style" is a woodblock printed book made by the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai, one of the most important ukiyo-e artists, who lived and worked during the Edo period (1615-1868). This book exemplifies the popularization of art during this period, when woodblock printing made art accessible to a broader audience. It served as a guide for aspiring artists, demonstrating Hokusai’s drawing techniques. In a society that had strict social hierarchies, art became a means of expression and social mobility. Hokusai's work often captures the essence of Japanese life, infusing everyday scenes with a sense of movement and energy. Look closely at the images, can you feel his influence on later art movements in the West, such as Impressionism and Art Nouveau? Through his art, Hokusai invites us to contemplate our place in the world, to find beauty in the ordinary, and to connect with the deeper currents of human experience.