Hokusai A Life in Drawing

By: Henri-Alexis Baatsch, Timothy Clark

Published by Thames & Hudson, 2026-01-13

Hokusai (1760-1849) created sublime works during the last thirty years of his life, right up to his death at the age of almost ninety. This book presents fresh scholarship on the paintings and prints created by the artist during his final three decades, bringing together the finest examples to be found in Japan and around the world.

Hokusai's personal beliefs are studied here through major brush paintings, drawings, woodblock prints, and illustrated books. This publication gives due attention to the contribution of Hokusai's daughter Eijo (Oi), an accomplished artist in her own right. Hokusai continually explored the mutability and minutiae of natural phenomena in his art. His late subjects and styles were based on a mastery of eclectic Japanese, Chinese, and European techniques and an encyclopedic knowledge of nature, myth, and history. This collection of Hokusai's works is a uniquely valuable overview of the artist's late career.