Page 347 - Edo: Art in Japan, 1615–1868

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197 • Hokusai is best remembered as a goal of nonduality of subject and
Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) print designer and book illustrator, object. In its realistic depiction of fish
Carp and Turtles but he was a painter of no mean tal- and turtles this painting reveals the
Dated 1813 ent as well. This rather large painting artist working within the broad tra-
seen in the
dition of nature studies
Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper of a pair of carp and two turtles work of the Maruyama-Shijó school.
3
7
27.6 x 92.4 (io /s x s6 /s) swimming amid waterweeds amply Maruyama Ôkyo (1733-1795) and
Saitama Prefectural Museum demonstrates his mastery of the
brush. Apart from the light green pig- Nagasawa Rosetsu (1754-1799), for
ments used for the vegetation and instance, created a number of paint-
the eyes of the fish, the painting is ings on the theme of aquatic animals.
rendered entirely in ink.
The painting bears an inscription
The distinctive use of shading con- dated 1813 in which Hokusai states he
veyed by variations in ink tone lends is bequeathing his "Kimó dasoku"
a high degree of three-dimensionality seal to one of his pupils, who remains
to the fish and creates a convincing unnamed. Since Katsushika Hokumei
suggestion of flowing water. While (active 1804-1830), a female pupil of
deftly capturing the vitality of the Hokusai's, is known to have used this
fish and turtles, the artist has also seal around 1810 -1820, it is assumed
endowed the carp with a quasi-human that the inscription was addressed
expression. Hokusai often rendered to her. JTC
eyes of animals with this uncanny
effect, by which he seems to infuse
the scene with his own subjectivity—
his twist on the East Asian aesthetic