HOKUSAI KATSUSHIKA

"Creativity - is the living embodiment of direct, an individual artist′s world . . . is independence from the government and all the benefits "- so he wrote the great Japanese artist.

The artistic heritage of Hokusai is extremely high: it has created about thirty thousand drawings and prints and illustrated by some five hundred books and wrote poems. Creativity Hokusai had a significant impact on European painting and graphics of the last third of XIX - early XX century.

Katsushika Hokusai (real name - Nakajima Tamekadzu) was born October 12, 1760 in the outskirts of the city of Edo, as Tokyo used to be called, in the Katsushika. He came from a peasant family. That is why the artist often called himself "a peasant from Hokusai.

The boy soon began working for the dealer. Then he became interested in prints, exhibited in the store. At age 13 he began working at woodcarver and performed his first illustrations for books. In 1778, Hokusai entered the studio Katsukava Syunse - one of the artists democratic school ukiyo-e. Painting the world conceptualized by artists of this school, primarily through the consciousness of the significance, of much of everyday life, their work and concerns. We Syunse young artist worked until 1792 mainly as an illustrator.

From about 1797 and 1810 worked as a master Hokusai surimono (specific, requiring complex equipment type prints), manufacturing numerous greeting and invitation cards.

Photo — «Hokusai Katsushika»

In the first half of his life the artist often changed his name. Name "Hokusai" first appeared in 1800, since 1805, he signed Hokusai Gakerodzin "which means" old man, is obsessed with painting. " At the same time, he creates and his first independent works: "53 station, the Tokaido" (1804), types of road connecting Tokyo and Kyoto, willows in 1814 produced the first book conceived of as a benefit for artists of a multivolume work "manga".

"This Hokusai born with the publication of the first volume of his famous album" Manga ", a name which can be translated as" Book outline ", - wrote Boris Voronov. - This album consists of fifteen volumes, the first was issued in 1814, the last - in 1878-m. In the "Manga Hokusai as if exploring the endless forms of being, he analyzes all visible, sometimes as if he prepares. With equal enthusiasm, he sketched everyday scenes, and landscapes of Japan, architectural details, animals, birds and insects. But above all Hokusai interested in the world, manifested in action. On the pages of this album are born heroes of the mature Hokusai: every person and every phenomenon of the world - independent and significant embedded in their potency to act. Human figures in the "Manga" are depicted in the dramatic, often exaggerated movement, their poses and silhouettes expressive.

Photo — «Hokusai Katsushika»

Status of rights in these drawings are always clear, but revealed in full. Hokusai is studying the movement of fighters, riders posture, gestures, archery, jumping acrobats.

The flowering of creativity Hokusai accounts for 1820′s - early 1830′s, when they were created the best landscape series: "36 species of Mount Fuji" (1823-1829), "Bridges" (1823-1829), "Travels in waterfalls of the country "(1827-1830), a series of" Poets of China and Japan "(1830).

In his works, Hokusai imprinting a variety of landscape motifs with the bold-looking effects and color combinations creates an epic image of the Japanese landscape, the contrast between the stresses of a busy human activity and calmness of natural being.

The most celebrated work of the artist - "36 species of Mount Fuji. " Here, in fact, in 46 prints, the artist displays a picture of the country. His heroes are mostly working people: fishermen in the stormy sea, wood-sawyers in stock, peasants, carrying home straw. There are domestic scenes - a boy, launching a kite, and the ladies, talking on the terrace.

"but pervasive motif Fuji, unchanging, individualized look which stands as a symbol of eternity and beauty of the world, making a shade meditation on the transitory nature of human life. The motif of Fuji, which first appears gradually, almost as if by accident, gradually grows into an independent subject, "- wrote VE Brodsky.

Photo — «Hokusai Katsushika»

Hokusai insistently seeking motives, allowing him to embody the idea of the immensity of the world, the significance of all that exists, the greatness of all manifestations of life. Thus, in his art, along with Fuji, is equally magnificent, gigantic and heroic theme - the theme of the ocean. In all nine sheets of unfinished series of "100 species of the ocean" for the familiar genre scenes - the image of fishers, collectors of pearls, dive for seaweed - we sense lurking formidable and ruthless elements, living under different scales, which is enough only to stir - and disappear all that settled on its banks, "- wrote Boris Voronov.

Later works are of high masters of graphic skill, but giving the richness and subtlety of color to the earlier series.

Among the numerous works Hokusai last two decades of his life the most significant was a series of landscapes "100 Views of Mount Fuji. "

A typical example of this series of painting "The Wave", where the artist graceful tendrils wrote foam on the crest of a wave rearing and flying over the sea a flock of birds. A whole make up and the birds, and curls of foam patterns: spray foam, easily separated from the water, turn themselves into birds.

Learn how to work a great artist, writes in his book, PA Beletsky:

"He sat on his haunches, holding two fingers to the tip of the cutting brush with very long hair.

Photo — «Hokusai Katsushika»

Hand with a brush supported other hand, leaning his elbow on his knee. While on paper, lying on the floor, there were several strokes, his body twisted and moved. Musculature vibrate and swell, though he have a difficult gymnastic exercise. Students cleaned the finished sheets and rapidly puts the following.

No rework the master is not allowed. A few minutes - and before the astonished eyes of the master of spreading ink stains from plants appeared, animals, birds, people in various corners. Fast astonished. "

After line seventieth birthday, Hokusai, wrote: "In 6 years I have tried to convey true shape of objects. For half a century I have done a lot of pictures, but up to 70 years has done nothing significant. In 73 years I studied the structure of animals, birds, insects and plants. So I can say that up to 80 years, my art will continually evolve and to 90 years I will be able to penetrate the very essence of art. In 100 years I will create images, such divine miracle. When I turn 110 years old, every line, every point - would be life itself. Those who will live a long time, be able to see that I keep his word. "

His word artist could not hold back: he died on May 10, 1849, before the age of ninety years.