ARTICLE 5

TOKITARO : LIFE BEYOND BRUSHES

9 Min Read

His works influenced Van Gogh and Claude Monet. The only Japanese artist to have had the most names in his career, 30 in all. One of the greatest woodblock print series which gained international acclaim was only crafted at seventy. He gave to the world, the first ever 'Manga' series of 12 volumes. He is Hokusai. Katsushika Hokusai.

The Tokugawa shogunate, a military government of Japan ruled the country from 1603 till 1867. This ruling period was known as the 'Edo period'. Today's Tokyo was known as Edo back then. Japan was subjected to economic growth, strict social order, isolationist foreign policies, perpetual peace, removal of Christianity and emergence of woodblock paintings under the shogun rule. Entering or leaving Japan invited death and remained that way for over 200 years. The Japanese mass were split into five categories, with the emperor, court nobles and shoguns on top. This was followed by the Samurai, peasants, artisans and merchants. Interaction between these classes was forbidden. By mid-18th century, 'Edo' was the biggest city in the world with a population of one million and still is, with 38 million. With economic boom, the lowest class rose through the top and could afford needs in the same way the higher classes did. This growing urban lifestyle and culture was depicted in the form of an art genre, 'Ukiyo' (floating world/sorrowful world). Ukiyo culture developed in the red-light district of Edo, 'Yoshiwara' where brothels were frequented by the growing merchant class. These paintings were also made on 'Kabuki' actors and courtesans. These paintings were then made on woodblocks, known as 'Ukiyo-e' (pictures of the floating world). Like UNO cards or playing cards, there was a constant demand for new handmade prints. The economy kept flourishing. Ukiyo-e art, unlike the traditional art was not restricted to the higher class. The merchants could afford and buy them too.

In 1760, Tokitarō was born to a supposedly concubine and the shogun's mirror-maker, Nakajima Ise. Learning painting from his father, Tokitaro began his art saga from the age of six. He was called as Tetsuzo at ten years. At twelve, he was sent to work at a bookshop and lending library where woodcut blocks rather than papers constituted a book. He joined one of the leading 'ukiyo-e' art schools, the Katsukawa school after two years. The Tokugawa shogunate created the Katsukawa school after oppressing the Kano school of painting. Both schools were cut-throat rivals until both ended before the end of the shogun rule. Katsukawa Shunshō, an artist of ukiyo-e, a style of woodblock prints and paintings taught Tetsuzo, who later mastered all of his teacher's skills.

Tetsuzo published his first series of prints of kabuki actors in 1779 under the name of Shunrō, titled by his master. By now, Shunrō was 19 years. Years later, he was married but his wife died in the early 1790s. His master's demise in 1793 led him to explore other styles of art such as the French and the Dutch ones while studying at the rival Kanō school. Though Japan was closed to all foreign interactions, two Dutch ships were allowed every year for trading because only the Dutch never tried to impose Christianity. Through these ships, Shunrō discovered the Dutch landscape prints (for example, 'Makkum' by Jan Bulthuis) and gradually, the Western art influenced his works. For instance, Western artists fixed the physical position on the viewer whereas Japanese artists produced art which had no distinct point to guide, like a panoramic view and fluid, by nature. Shunrō's deviation towards the rival school and concept led him to expuslion from the Katsukawa school by his master's chief disciple, 'Shunkō'. Following this action, an inspired Shunrō told, "What really motivated the development of my artistic style was the embarrassment I suffered at Shunkō's hands."

Shunrō had lost his bearings as an artist for a while. Then in the mid-1790s, he began connecting with poetry groups and designed privately commissioned poetry prints. During this time, he also studied the art of the Rinpa school. From 1795, he started signing his works under the name of 'Tawaraya Sōri' because he was associated with the Tawaraya school. In 1797, Hokusai marries again but his second wife dies after a short time. Fathering two sons and three daughters from his past two beloved, the youngest daughter 'Ei' became his assistant and follower. Then, he transferred the name to a student and engraved the name 'Hokusai Tomisa' in 1798 following his faith in a Buddhist deity from the realm of the North Star ('Hokushin' in Japanese).

Hokusai set out as an independent artist. He changed his subjects of ukiyo-e works from the images of Kabuki actors and courtesans to landscapes and images of the daily life of Japanese people who belonged to various classes. In 1800, he adopted the name that he would be popularly known by, Katsushika Hokusai. Hokusai was becoming famous for his landscape artworks and knack of self-promotion. He had painted a 200 square metre portrait of the Buddhist prelate Daruma, using a broom and a bucket full of ink. Between 1804 and 1815, Hokusai collaborated with the renowned novelist, Takizawa Bakin on a series of illustrated books. But, this collaboration ended after thirteen works, maybe due to conflicting personalities and style of drawings. In 1814, Hokusai released a three volume book of 'shunga' (erotic art) and the first volume of Manga.

At the age of 50 (1810), he was struck by lightning and suffered a stroke. "All I have done before the age of seventy is not worth bothering with" says Hokusai in relation to his best works that were produced after the accident and age itself.

The Great Daruma. On 5th October 1817, he painted a monumental portrait of a revered Japanese Buddhist monk (5th - 6th century) known as Daruma. This painting was made beside the Hongan-ji Nagoya Betsuin Buddhist temple in Nagoya, Japan on a vast paper of 59 by 35 feet. As a result of this great work, he was entitled as 'Daruma-sen' (the Daruma master) in Nagoya. This portrait survived till May 1945 during the bombing of Nagoya by the United States Army in World War II. However, few handbills have been preserved at the Nagoya City Museum.

In 1820, he changes his name to 'Litsu'. Thirty-six Views of Mount Fiji was produced in the early 1830s under this name. In this series, 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa' was a hybrid of Japanese and European ideas (depth and volume) of measurement - 25cm by 37cm. Starting from the bottom, the waves lie in a low horizon wave. This is typical of a Dutch landscape. Getting deep into these waves, ancient Japanese seascapes protruded more of a freely floating view. The Fiji or Fuji mountain is dark majorly, covered with snow on top. Such clear-cut view of the mountain means that the sunrise is behind the viewer, early morning. Location is set somewhere in the south of Edo, at Sagami Bay. Three fishermen boats proceeding towards the wave can be seen. These are the fish being taken to the Edo market. In view of uncertainty and nearing invasion, Litsu dwarfs the highest peak of Japan, the Fiji by that giant wave just when it's break is paused. Also, the white part of the wave is composed of little claw-like curves and few drops of the wave appear as little snowballs upon the peak, indicating snowfall. The distance of Mount Fiji, the height and bends of these waves are signs of fear to the fishermen who are weary of making it to the shore. The waves seem to gulp those tiny boats. Hokusai's great wave seems to lead the West into Japan for ending the shogun rule. Or maybe, just end the bad for good. This image has been printed for at least 8000 times.

In 1834, he produced 'One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji' under the name of 'Gakyō Rōjin' (The Old Man Mad about Art). A fire in his studio in 1839 destroyed most of his works and his works were being superseded by younger artists. At the age of 83 (1843), he traveled to Nagano at the invitation of his patron. There, he painted everyday ie 'Tiger in the Snow' and 'The Dragon of Smoke Escaping from Mt Fuji' until his demise in 1849. Shortly before his death, he composed this haiku: "Though as a ghost, I shall lightly tread, the summer fields".

The Great Wave off Kanagawa is the most reproduced image in the history of art. Today, Hokusai and his art lives. For instance, on computer operating systems designed by Apple Inc., the emoji character for a water wave strongly resembles the wave depicted in the print. In 2022, the Bank of Japan announced that it's 1000 yen banknote resembling Mount Fuji will be replaced by this art and will be in circulation from 2024. Katsushika Hokusai was a man married to his art. His brush was his lifeline. It birthed itself in his curiosity and took ill with his age.

(Note: This article was inspired by one of my 'Theatre Studies' professors, Cheriyan Alexander. He could not be a man. But, a walking plethora of knowledge. His talk on The Great Wave Off Kanagawa by Hokusai and The Dog by Goya in his previous lecture was some welt.)

Key Words

1) Shogunate: Hereditary military dictatorship of Japan

2) Concubine: A woman who lives with a man but has lower status than his wife or wives

3) Handbill: A small printed advertisement or other notice distributed by hand

4) Prelate: A high ranking member of clergy