Random Sketches by Hokusai, Volume 12

1834

Not on view

Hokusai's picture book, published in fifteen volumes, included popular drawings of figures from everyday life, mythology, religion, and legend, as well as depictions of flora, fauna and landscape. It was probably created to provide models for artists. This image, "Man Making Faces," is included among a volume of humorous sketches and caricatures. The print features close-up reflections of a man creating two different distorted expressions. However, Hokusai plays with the reality of the mirror image by eliminating the real subject—the man—and representing only his reflection. Since the subject has entered our space, the artist engages us on a different level. Could we be the subject?

Artwork Details

Object Information

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Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

References

Title: Random Sketches by Hokusai, Volume 12
Artist: Katsushika Hokusai (Japanese, Tokyo (Edo) 1760–1849 Tokyo (Edo))
Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
Date: 1834
Culture: Japan
Medium: Woodblock printed book; ink and color on paper
Dimensions: Overall: 9 × 6 1/4 × 1/2 in. (22.9 × 15.9 × 1.3 cm)
Classification: Illustrated Books
Credit Line: The Howard Mansfield Collection, Gift of Howard Mansfield, 1936
Object Number: JIB112
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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Random Sketches by Hokusai, Volumes 1 to 11, Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾北斎 Japanese, Eleven volumes of woodblock printed books; ink and color on paper, Japan — Random Sketches by Hokusai, Volumes 1 to 11
Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾北斎

Under the Wave off Kanagawa (Kanagawa oki nami ura), or The Great Wave, from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)
, Katsushika Hokusai Japanese, Woodblock print; ink and color on paper, Japan — Under the Wave off Kanagawa (Kanagawa oki nami ura), or The Great Wave, from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)
Katsushika Hokusai
ca. 1830–32

Armor (<i>Gusoku</i>), Saotome Ietada Japanese, Iron, lacquer, silk, gilt copper, Japanese — Armor (*Gusoku*)
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Armorer Breastplate inscribed inside, Myōchin Munesuke
16th and 18th centuries

Page from Ten Bamboo Studio Manual of Painting and Calligraphy, Hu Zhengyan , and others Chinese, Individual leaf from a woodblock-printed book; ink and color on paper, China — Page from Ten Bamboo Studio Manual of Painting and Calligraphy
Hu Zhengyan
first edition printed in 1633

Print, Katsushika Hokusai Japanese, Handcolored woodcut, Japan — Print
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