Timeline of Japanese ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849), chronicling his life, major works like 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa' and 'Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji', his Manga sketches, and his global influence on Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists.
Katsushika Hokusai is born in the Honjo district of Edo (modern-day Tokyo), Japan, to a family of artisans. His birth name is Tokitarō. #biography #art
At age 18, Hokusai enters the studio of Katsukawa Shunshō, a master of ukiyo-e woodblock prints specializing in actor portraits. He receives the artist name Katsukawa Shunrō. #art #apprenticeship
Hokusai produces his first known published illustrations for a kyōka (comic poetry) anthology. These early works show the influence of his teacher Shunshō. #art #ukiyoe
Following Shunshō's death, Hokusai is expelled from the Katsukawa school due to stylistic differences. He begins experimenting with other styles, including those of the Kanō and Tosa schools. #art #biography
Hokusai adopts the art name 'Hokusai', meaning 'North Studio', after the North Star. He also begins using various other gō (artist names) throughout his career. #art #ukiyoe
Hokusai becomes a prolific illustrator of popular fiction genres, including yomihon (reading books) and kibyōshi (yellow-covered comic books). His innovative compositions gain recognition. #art #literature
Hokusai publishes 'Tōto Meisho' (Views of the Eastern Capital), a series of landscape prints of Edo. This marks his shift towards landscape as a major subject. #art #landscape
Hokusai gains fame for large-format paintings, including a 10-meter long Daruma and a massive portrait of the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma at a temple in Edo. #art #painting
Hokusai illustrates a version of Murasaki Shikibu's classic novel 'The Tale of Genji'. His interpretations bring a modern ukiyo-e aesthetic to the Heian-era story. #art #literature
Hokusai begins producing surimono (privately commissioned prints) and starts compiling sketches for what would become the Hokusai Manga. #art #prints
Hokusai travels to Nagoya and Osaka, where he teaches students and produces works. This expands his influence beyond Edo. #art #travel
The first of 15 volumes of 'Hokusai Manga' is published in Nagoya. This sketchbook contains thousands of drawings of everyday life, animals, landscapes, and fantastic creatures. It becomes a reference for artists. #art #manga
The second volume of 'Hokusai Manga' is published, continuing the encyclopedic depiction of Japanese life and nature. #art #manga
Hokusai paints a giant portrait of Daruma using a broom and buckets of ink at the Gokoku-ji temple in Edo as a public performance. The feat is widely reported. #art #performance
Hokusai changes his artist name to Iitsu, beginning a decade of prolific printmaking and painting. This period sees technical refinement. #art #name
Hokusai starts work on the iconic series 'Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji', which will feature 46 prints. The series revolutionizes landscape ukiyo-e with bold compositions and Prussian blue. #art #landscape
Hokusai publishes 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa', the first print in the 'Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji' series. It becomes his most famous work, depicting an enormous wave threatening boats with Mount Fuji in the background. #art #iconic
The series 'Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji' is completed, with 46 prints due to popular demand. The series includes other famous prints like 'Fine Wind, Clear Morning' (Red Fuji). #art #series
Hokusai begins the series 'Waterfalls of the Provinces' (Shokoku Taki Meguri), featuring dynamic depictions of famous waterfalls across Japan. #art #nature
Hokusai creates shunga (erotic art) prints, including the series 'Poem of the Pillow' (Kinoe no Komatsu). Despite censorship, shunga was popular among all classes. #art #erotic
Hokusai's series 'Views of the Bridges of the Provinces' (Shokoku Meikyō Kuran) showcases famous bridges in landscape settings. #art #landscape
Hokusai publishes the first volume of 'One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji' (Fugaku Hyakkei), a book of monochrome prints depicting the mountain from various perspectives. #art #book
The second volume of 'One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji' is published, continuing Hokusai's obsession with the mountain. #art #book
The third and final volume of 'One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji' is published, completing the set of 102 prints. #art #book
A fire in the Honjo district destroys Hokusai's home and many of his works. Despite the loss, he continues to produce art with renewed vigor. #art #tragedy
Hokusai illustrates 'One Hundred Poems Explained by the Nurse' (Hyakunin Isshu Uba ga Etoki), a series of prints based on classic waka poems. #art #poetry
Hokusai creates 'Crows and Herons' (Karasu to Sagi), a series of prints focusing on birds in nature, showcasing his mastery of animal forms. #art #nature
Hokusai completes the series 'A Tour of the Waterfalls of the Provinces', further emphasizing dynamic water and landscape composition. #art #nature
In a letter, Hokusai expresses his wish to live to 110 to perfect his art, famously stating that at 73 he felt he understood the structure of animals, birds, and fish. #art #quotes
Hokusai collaborates with other artists on 'The World of the Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō' (Tōkaidō Gojūsan Tsugi no Uchi), a series of prints along the famous highway. #art #travel
Katsushika Hokusai dies at the age of 88 in Edo. He is buried at the Seikyō-ji temple in Tokyo. His last known words reportedly express a desire to have been able to paint more. #art #obituary
Hokusai's illustrated book 'Ehon Hyakunin Isshu' (Picture Book of One Hundred Poems) is published posthumously, completing his final projects. #art #book
Japanese woodblock prints, including those by Hokusai, are displayed at the World Exposition in Paris, sparking the Japonism movement. His work influences Impressionists like Monet and Degas. #art #japonism
A large collection of Hokusai's prints is exhibited at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, cementing his reputation in the West. Artists like Van Gogh and Gauguin collect his works. #art #influence
French printmaker Henri Rivière, inspired by Hokusai, creates 'Les Trente-Six Vues de la Tour Eiffel', directly referencing Hokusai's series. #art #influence
Claude Debussy's symphonic work 'La Mer' (The Sea) is directly inspired by Hokusai's 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa', with the image on the score cover. #music #art )
French art historian Edmond de Goncourt publishes a biography of Hokusai, bringing scholarly attention to his work in the West. #art #scholarship
The Great Kantō earthquake and subsequent fires in Tokyo destroy many original Hokusai woodblocks and prints, but surviving works become even more treasured. #art #history
Japan celebrates the bicentennial of Hokusai's birth with exhibitions and publications, reaffirming his status as a national treasure. #art #culture
Major international exhibitions of Hokusai's works tour the world, including at the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, exposing new audiences to his art. #art #exhibition
The British Museum holds a landmark retrospective 'Hokusai: Beyond the Great Wave', showcasing over 100 works. #art #exhibition
Google celebrates Hokusai's 254th birthday with a doodle featuring 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa', introducing him to a global digital audience. #art #digital
Hokusai's 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa' is widely referenced in popular culture, including as a Unicode emoji (🌊) and in numerous media. #art #popculture
Museums digitize and upload high-resolution scans of Hokusai Manga volumes, making them freely accessible to scholars and the public. #art #digital