Artwork
葛飾北斎筆 鶏と木材鶏図|Album of Sketches by Katsushika Hokusai and His Disciples
葛飾北斎筆 鶏と木材鶏図|Album of Sketches by Katsushika Hokusai and His Disciples is an ink painting by the Japonisme artist Katsushika Hokusai. It dates from 1834 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The inclusion of these animals functions as a visual motif within the album, situating human subjects amid characteristic fauna of the natural world.
The work presents a human figure together with an owl and a squirrel, among other subjects recorded across the album's leaves. Created in 1834 in Japan, the piece is an ink and color album of ninety-seven leaves attributed to Katsushika Hokusai and his disciples. The inclusion of these animals functions as a visual motif within the album, situating human subjects amid characteristic fauna of the natural world.
As a work classified within the still-life genre, it reflects a focus on ordinary subjects rendered with observational detail, offering insight into Hokusai's study of everyday forms and the symbolic use of animals in his sketch practice.
Technique & Style
The album consists of ninety-seven leaves executed in ink and color on paper, a format that allowed for rapid sketching and varied compositional experiments across the volume. Each leaf follows the standard Japanese album format, with dimensions of approximately 39.4 by 26.7 centimeters, providing an elongated vertical orientation suited to both figure studies and still-life motifs. The combination of ink and color on paper permitted Hokusai and his disciples to move fluidly between monochrome brushwork and polychrome passages, with subjects ranging from human figures to animals such as owls and squirrels.
The album's handling as a bound sketchbook rather than a series of mounted scrolls encouraged informal, exploratory draftsmanship across its pages.
History & Provenance
The work is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Its accession number is 14.76.59.1–.102, as recorded in the museum's catalogue. The piece originates from Japan and was created in 1834 as an album of ninety-seven leaves of ink and color on paper. No specific exhibition record is noted in the consulted documentation.
Overview
This entry refers to a specific leaf within the Album of Sketches by Katsushika Hokusai and His Disciples, created in 1834. Executed by Katsushika Hokusai, this particular drawing features a chicken atop a pile of firewood. The album, comprising ninety-seven leaves, showcases the artist's spontaneous approach to various subjects using ink and color on paper. It represents a collection of studies rather than finished compositions.
Context
This particular sketch was produced late in Katsushika Hokusai's life, when he was nearly eighty years old. During this period, the artist famously referred to himself as "the old man crazy about drawing," reflecting his enduring passion and prolific output even in advanced age. The album as a whole provides insight into his continuous practice and exploration of subjects, demonstrating an unceasing dedication to his craft.
Artist & collection
Artist
Katsushika Hokusai spent his life in Edo, now Tokyo, where he drew and carved prints for a living.
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