Hokusai

Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) was the first Japanese artist to be internationally recognised, and he continues to inspire artists around the world. As the home of the largest and finest collection of Japanese art outside Japan – including the greatest variety of Hokusai works in any museum – the MFA is uniquely positioned to offer a comprehensive exhibition of this remarkable artist.

Drawing from extensive holdings of paintings, woodblock prints, and illustrated printed books, the museum will showcase an array of works from Hokusai’s seven-decade career, including lesser-known pieces depicting whimsical instructions on how to draw, dynamic paintings on paper lanterns, and elaborate cut-out dioramas. Also displayed are some of the most famous images in Japanese art, including Under the Wave Off Kanagawa (Great Wave) (about 1830–31) – from the legendary series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji – and the brilliantly coloured multi-panel screen painting Phoenix (1835).

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