Artwork
『画本葛飾振』|Picture Book in the Katsushika Style (Ehon Katsushika-buri)
『画本葛飾振』|Picture Book in the Katsushika Style (Ehon Katsushika-buri) is an ink painting by the Japonisme artist Katsushika Hokusai. It dates from 1836 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Ehon Katsushika-buri (Picture Book in the Katsushika Style) is a folding album containing twenty-eight preparatory drawings by Hokusai.
- Accession no.
- 14.76.58.1–.25
- Credit line
- Charles Stewart Smith Collection, Gift of Mrs. Charles Stewart Smith, Charles Stewart Smith Jr., and Howard Caswell Smith, in memory of Charles Stewart Smith, 1914
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The imagery serves a practical purpose as preparatory designs for woodblock printing, evidenced by the inclusion of printed borders and titles on the paper.
Created in 1836, the work Ehon Katsushika-buri functions as a collection of block-ready drawings intended for book illustrations. The subject matter focuses on genre scenes featuring specific figures: a man and a horse. As part of a series designated by the Katsushika style, these ink-on-paper compositions depict animal and human forms within a Japanese context.
The imagery serves a practical purpose as preparatory designs for woodblock printing, evidenced by the inclusion of printed borders and titles on the paper. While the work is categorized under genre scenes, the provided records identify the core iconography simply as the interaction or presence of a man and a horse, without further elaboration on specific narrative symbolism or deeper allegorical meaning.
Technique & Style
The work is presented as a folding album comprising twenty‑eight hand‑drawn sheets (hanshita‑e) intended for subsequent woodblock printing; each sheet is executed in ink on paper and finished with woodblock‑printed borders and titles. The album measures 25.4 cm in height by 39.4 cm in width, reflecting its intended page size. Executed in Japan in 1836, the sheets are bound together, requiring careful opening to avoid damage, and remain in stable condition with only minor edge wear reported.
Stylistically, the drawings employ precise line work and flattened perspective characteristic of ukiyo‑e, depicting a horse and a man within a narrative scene.
History & Provenance
Created in 1836 by the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai, this work is a folding album comprising twenty-eight block-ready drawings intended for book illustrations. Executed in ink on paper with woodblock-printed borders and titles, the piece serves as a preparatory model for the publication known as 'Picture Book in the Katsushika Style.' While specific details regarding its original commission or early ownership chain are not provided in the available records, the album is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The physical object measures approximately 25.4 by 39.4 centimeters and was produced in Japan. The drawings depict various genre scenes, including figures of men and horses, reflecting the artist's stylistic approach during this period of his career.
The folding album is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as recorded in its collection data. It is catalogued as a set of twenty-eight block-ready drawings (hanshita-e) prepared as illustrations for the 1836 publication. The Met's records list the work's inception as 1836 and document its dimensions as 25.4 cm in height by 39.4 cm in width.
No specific accession number is provided in the available sources, and no exhibition history beyond its current placement in the museum's collection is documented.
Overview
Ehon Katsushika-buri (Picture Book in the Katsushika Style) is a folding album containing twenty-eight preparatory drawings by Hokusai. These ink-on-paper works, intended for book illustrations, demonstrate the artist's dynamic draftsmanship. Though considered paintings in their own right, they served as hanshita-e, or block-ready designs, for eventual woodblock prints.
Each page is framed by a pre-printed border and title, suggesting its ultimate purpose within a larger publication.
Context
These drawings were specifically created by Hokusai as guides for woodblock carvers. Their clean, defined contours facilitated the precise cutting required for producing printing blocks. The album thus represents a crucial stage in the ukiyo-e production process, bridging the artist's initial concept and the final printed image.
It demonstrates the collaborative nature of woodblock printing, where the artist's hand provided the essential blueprint for skilled artisans.
Artist & collection
Artist
Katsushika Hokusai spent his life in Edo, now Tokyo, where he drew and carved prints for a living.
