Hokusai

Hokusai ( 北斎 )
Katsushika Hokusai, in an 1839 self-portrait
Born	Tokitarō 時太郎 supposedly October 31, 1760 Edo (present-day Tokyo), Japan
Died	May 10, 1849(1849-05-10) (aged 88) Edo (present-day Tokyo), Japan
Nationality	Japanese
Known for	Ukiyo-e Painting and Woodblock Printing
Notable work	The Great Wave off Kanagawa

Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾 北斎^?,  listen , c. October 31, 1760 – May 10, 1849) was a Japanese artist, ukiyo-e painter and printmaker of the Edo period. He was influenced by Sesshū Tōyō and other styles of Chinese painting. Born in Edo (now Tokyo), Hokusai is best known as author of the woodblock print series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (富嶽三十六景, Fugaku Sanjūroku-kei^?, c. 1831) which includes the internationally iconic print, The Great Wave off Kanagawa.

Hokusai created the "Thirty-Six Views" both as a response to a domestic travel boom and as part of a personal obsession with Mount Fuji. It was this series, specifically The Great Wave print and Fine Wind, Clear Morning, that secured Hokusai’s fame both in Japan and overseas. As historian Richard Lane concludes, "Indeed, if there is one work that made Hokusai's name, both in Japan and abroad, it must be this monumental print-series". While Hokusai's work prior to this series is certainly important, it was not until this series that he gained broad recognition.