Random Sketches by Hokusai, Volumes 1 to 11

Random Sketches by Hokusai, Volumes 1 to 11

Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾北斎

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The series Hokusai manga had fifteen volumes. The first volume was published in 1814 and the tenth, which was supposed to be the final volume, in 1819. The series was so popular that the publishers added several more books, finally ending with volume 15 in 1878, long after Hokusai's death in1849. These drawings demonstrate Hokusai's remarkable ability to capture the essence of the body in motion. His signature reads Hokusai aratame Katsushika Taito ("Hokusai changed to Katsushika Taito").

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Random Sketches by Hokusai, Volumes 1 to 11Random Sketches by Hokusai, Volumes 1 to 11Random Sketches by Hokusai, Volumes 1 to 11Random Sketches by Hokusai, Volumes 1 to 11Random Sketches by Hokusai, Volumes 1 to 11

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.