Hokusai – Retrospective

For the first time in Germany a major retrospective is to be devoted to the world famous Japanese artist Hokusai (1760-1849). Over 350 loans, which with few exceptions come from Japan, will be on display in the exhibition in Berlin’s Martin-Gropius-Bau.

Hokusai, whose best-known picture is the woodcut: “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” from the series: “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji” (1826-33) was already a master of the art of the woodcut by the time he was eighteen.

The multi-coloured woodcut had been practised in Japan since the 1740s and achieved a preliminary apogee in the 1790s, a process in which Hokusai played a major part. At that time there were some artists who would use up to 70 colour plates for a single woodcut print. Yet at the age of 22 years Hokusai was more inclined to be a draughtsman than a woodcut artist. Hokusai lived to be almost 90, and his productive period lasted well over 70 years

Works from all periods of the artist’s career – woodcuts and drawings, illustrated books, and paintings – will be shown at the exhibition.

Date: until October 24
Place: Martin-Gropius-Bau Berlin. Niederkirchnerstraße 7.  Corner Stresemannstr. 110, 10963 Berlin. Germany.
Opening hours: from Wednesday to Monday from 10am to 8pm.