Painting nature
Depictions of wild animals, birds, insects, fish, and molluscs, as well as images of plants and flowers, are part of the pictorial genre known as kachō-ga. Hokusai would elevate this genre, which was considered minor at the time. His skill in rendering the different textures of flowers and animals—such as birds’ feathers—illustrates his perfect mastery of Chinese styles, particularly that of the Nanpin School, based in Nagasaki.
Hokusai published many remarkable drawings in notebooks, but those in his Manga series, begun in 1814, demonstrates a new approach, far removed from conventional subjects. Several volumes contain numerous drawings of flowers, birds, fish, and insects, in which Hokusai’s style is easily recognizable through the lively poses and sometimes almost human expressions of his subjects.
His works always sought to symbolically represent the laws of nature that he himself observed. His knowledge of the tangible world, as a follower of Shintoism, was nourished by the attentive gaze he cast on his surroundings, where he considered everything worthy of attention. His work also illustrates the growing interest in horticulture and natural sciences at that time, evoking the botanical plates published during the Bunka-Bunsei period (1818-1830). If Hokusai remained faithful to realistic morphological depictions, he also created personalized forms that testify to his originality.
After several engraved collections, masterpieces in the domain of kachō-ga, Hokusai devoted himself primarily to painting. During the Great Famine of 1836, he notably produced several painted albums, such as the Notebook of Paintings Done by Hand. These rare works are another demonstration of the master’s highly original style. Painting nature also meant painting the supernatural. Hokusai is the author of some remarkable prints representing yōkai (supernatural beings) and ghosts, but also of numerous drawings of shishi (Buddhist lions) believed to offer protection against evil.