琉球八景　筍崖夕照|Evening Glow at Jungai (Jungai sekishō), from the series Eight Views of the Ryūkyū Islands (Ryūkyū hakkei)

Katsushika Hokusai

ca. 1832 · Woodblock print; ink and color on paper · Asian Art

Hokusai's prints of the Ryūkyū were probably made to commemorate the Ryūkyū mission's arrival at Edo in November 1832. Although the original gazetteer that inspired Hokusai was in black and white, his series is in exquisite color. We can see not only his use of color to heighten the exotic ambiance of the Ryūkyū Islands, but also his imaginative power to make alien islands familiar in the guise of Eight Views. The artist carefully selected representative elements of the Eight Views, such as moon, sailboats and snow.

Artist

Katsushika Hokusai

Date

ca. 1832

Medium

Woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Henry L. Phillips Collection, Bequest of Henry L. Phillips, 1939