Hokusai The Great Master of Japanese Art

The catalogue of the most comprehensive exhibition ever held in Italy, at Palazzo Bonaparte in Rome, dedicated to Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849), a supreme master of Japanese art and a key figure in global visual culture. The exhibition is part of the official programme of celebrations marking the 160th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Italy and Japan, sealing a deep and enduring cultural dialogue between two artistic traditions that continue to influence and enrich one another. Through a broad and multifaceted journey, the catalogue – curated by Beata Romanowicz – guides the reader in discovering not only the celebrated Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, including the iconic The Great Wave off Kanagawa, but also an extraordinary selection of woodblock prints, illustrated books, and rare objects from the prestigious collection of the National Museum in Kraków, one of Europe’s most important collections, which includes remarkable examples of Japanese art, particularly from the Edo period (1603–1863). The reader is led into the refined universe of Ukiyo-e, the “Floating World,” where nature, the movement of water, landscapes, female figures, and the life of the Japanese people become protagonists of a poetic and surprisingly modern vision. The volume explores the work of an artist who profoundly influenced the Western imagination, inspiring Monet, Van Gogh, and the entire Impressionist movement.