Otafuku, the Goddess of Good Cheer (Year of the Rooster, 1813) Possibly 1813

Curator: Here we have Katsushika Hokusai's "Otafuku, the Goddess of Good Cheer," created in the Year of the Rooster, 1813. It’s a delicate paper work, just over 18 cm square. Editor: Isn't it charming? She seems so absorbed, peering at whatever’s written on that page. Like she's deciphering a secret. Curator: Precisely. Note how the composition focuses our gaze downwards, from the inscription to the goddess herself, and finally to the fan below. Editor: It’s almost as if the flowing script has materialized into Otafuku. She’s brought the words to life! Curator: An astute observation. Consider the lines, the forms, the tension created by the contrast between the dark figure and the blank page. Editor: It is a work of beautiful simplicity, capturing a moment of contemplation. I feel drawn into her world. Curator: Indeed, it is a wonderful example of Hokusai's mastery of form and expression. Editor: It makes you wonder what she is reading. I am so glad to have stopped and looked a little deeper.