Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾 北斎, About this sound listen (help·info), c. October 31, 1760 – May 10, 1849) was a Japanese artist, ukiyo-e painter and printmaker of the Edo period.[1] He was influenced by Sesshū Tōyō and other styles of Chinese painting.[2] Born in Edo (now Tokyo), Hokusai is best known as author of the woodblock print series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (富嶽三十六景 Fugaku Sanjūroku-kei, c. 1831) which includes the internationally iconic print, The Great Wave off Kanagawa.
這幅作品描繪Climbing on Mt. Fuji,北齋的才能不僅在風(fēng)景畫領(lǐng)域,而且在讀本插圖、花鳥畫甚至《百物語》這種妖怪畫等所有畫域都有嶄新的表現(xiàn),還反映在肉筆畫中。他自號(hào)“畫狂人”,直至90歲去世留下了數(shù)量巨大的作品。通過多產(chǎn)的作畫活動(dòng),他追求的主題既有自然,也有人間生活、鬼怪世界。他將進(jìn)入其見聞的包羅萬象的事物的本質(zhì),作為一種“動(dòng)態(tài)”來理解,以超常的機(jī)智和富有戲劇性的想象力來把握和表現(xiàn)這樣變幻莫測(cè)的現(xiàn)象。在《椿說弓張?jiān)隆罚?807-1808)插圖中出現(xiàn)的諸怪異場(chǎng)面的逼真表現(xiàn),在日本美術(shù)史上,北齋是位想象力特別豐富的實(shí)驗(yàn)藝術(shù)家。據(jù)說他曾將活公雞的腳上沾滿了紅色顏料,任其自由地覆印于白紙上,最后依勢(shì)落筆而成美麗的秋楓圖。北齋是極端的完美主義者,其才華不僅表現(xiàn)在繪畫方面,文筆也超人一等。在他長(zhǎng)達(dá)八十年的創(chuàng)作生涯中創(chuàng)作的眾多佳作,對(duì)后世影響很大。