Untitled

Katsushika Hokusai

ca. 1810 · Fan mounted as hanging scroll; ink and color on paper · Asian Art

Hokusai's extraordinary achievement in print art has overshadowed his great talent as a painter. In this painting, Asaina Saburō, the legendary hero of Herculean strength, is enshrined in the small domain of the fan, so that his image takes on a more iconic quality. This fan, which was actually used, might have been a New Year's gift from a sake shop called Tsuruya, the name that appears on the box on which the drunken Asaina reclines. If this is the case, Hokusai created a witty, auspicious image for the shop. On the left is the signature Hokusai, which is accompanied by an unclear seal.

Artist

Katsushika Hokusai

Date

ca. 1810

Medium

Fan mounted as hanging scroll; ink and color on paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 1991