Hokusai began his career as a cartoonist, creating comic sketches which were popular during the Edo period of Japan. His works were focused on traditional ukiyo-e themes, which included images of courtesans, geishas, and actors. Ukiyo literally means ‘floating world’ in English and refers to the transient world of entertainment. Ukiyo-e hence means ‘pictures of the floating world.’
Towards the end of the 18th century, Hokusai shifted to making landscapes and images depicting the daily lives of ordinary Japanese people from various social classes, which was a breakthrough for ukiyo-e. He is responsible for transforming the art form to include subjects such as landscapes instead of limiting it to the ‘floating’ world.
Hokusai had a long career, but he produced most of his important works after the age of 60. He worked on his series of Mount Fuji in the 1820s. He also worked on other series, some of which are A Tour of the Waterfalls of the Provinces and Unusual Views of Celebrated Bridges in the Provinces.
What is a woodblock print?
Woodblock printing is said to have originated in China as a means of printing patterns on textiles. It is the first kind of printmaking technique to be invented. It is similar to rubber stamps that we see in the market. Images are carved out on a piece of wood; ink is applied on to the block, and then transferred onto paper or onto the artist’s material of choice. Sometimes the paper is dampened, depending on its thickness and absorbency.
Rubber stamps use only one color. To be able to create a woodblock print with multiple colors, the artist is required to carve separate blocks for each color. Woodblock printing, therefore, involves a lot of careful planning in advance. Fine lines and forms, like in Hokusai’s prints, require great finesse and patience.
If you look at a rubber stamp, the letters are always inverted but it prints the right way on paper. Similarly, the image on a woodblock print always reverses on paper.
A woodblock print falls under the category of relief printing because ink is applied onto the surface of wood which has not been carved away.
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