Primary sourcePainting1819

Risshi by the Sea Watching Birds

Katsushika Hokusai · 1819

A fan-shaped scroll painting by Hokusai showing a Chinese-themed figure watching birds by the sea.

Hokusai painted this fan-shaped scroll himself during his Taito-period work.

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Ink and colour painting on a fan-shaped mount showing a bearded figure in flowing robes reclining on rocks and gazing upward, with two small birds flying in the upper left and a seal and inscription at the lower right. — Katsushika Hokusai, Risshi by the Sea Watching Birds, 1819. Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this source

What it is

This is a fan-shaped scroll painting made in 1819 by the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai. It shows a bearded figure in flowing robes reclining on rocks, gazing up at two small birds, with a seal and inscription in the corner. It is held today at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Why it matters

The painting dates from Hokusai's "Taito" period, a stretch of his long career when he used that name instead of "Hokusai." The subject comes from Chinese tradition, showing how Japanese artists of the time drew on Chinese literature and legend for their imagery. It reveals Hokusai's skill not just as a printmaker but as a painter working directly in ink and colour.

Look closer

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Why do you think Hokusai, a Japanese artist, chose a Chinese subject?

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