Artwork
Taro Potato Leaf and Bellflowers
Taro Potato Leaf and Bellflowers is a paint painting by the Japonisme artist Katsushika Hokusai. It dates from 1808 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) created this small painting of a taro leaf accompanied by three bellflowers. Executed on pale paper, the work forms part of a set of seven paintings that were bound together in an album, reflecting the artist’s later‑period interest in standalone brush paintings rather than his earlier woodblock prints.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents a single green taro leaf with pronounced, textured veins, alongside three modest bellflowers each bearing five purple petals. The botanical elements are rendered without narrative context, inviting contemplation of natural form and seasonal subtlety.
Technique & Style
Hokusai employs a restrained palette of soft greens and muted purples, allowing the delicate shading of the leaf’s shadow to suggest three‑dimensionality without harsh contrast. The brushwork is fine and controlled, characteristic of his mature style that emphasizes gentle realism in botanical studies.
History & Provenance
This painting is one of a limited group of seven works assembled by Hokusai into an album, a format he favored in his later years as he shifted focus from commercial prints to more intimate painted pieces. The album has been retained within museum collections, with comparable works by Hokusai held at institutions such as the Victoria and Albert Museum.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Katsushika Hokusai spent his life in Edo, now Tokyo, where he drew and carved prints for a living.
