It wasn't until recently that I really began to appreciate the work of Katsushika Hokusai, one of the greatest artists to emerge in Japan during the 19th century. I would go even further and say that he is among the greatest artists in history. Not only was he influential to the development of Japanese art, he also greatly influenced the West, inspiring the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists.
My recent appreciation of Hokusai mainly has to do with the graphic quality of his work. His pictures convey great depth despite the deliberate flatness of forms. What gives his prints such vitality are his elegant lines and bold colors. He wasn't interested in getting too meticulous with detail, but rather focusing on delicate line quality.
The picture at the top is Hokusai's magnum opus, The Great Wave Off Kanagawa, derived from his 36 Views of Mount Fuji.
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