Primary sourcePainting1849

Tiger in the Snow

Katsushika Hokusai · 1849

A hanging scroll painted by Hokusai in 1849, the last year of his life, showing a tiger moving through falling snow.

Painted by Hokusai himself in the final months of his life, showing his brush remained vigorous to the end.

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Painting of a yellow-and-black striped tiger walking through falling snow, head turned upward, beside snow-laden pine branches with dark-tipped needles. Red seal and inscription at right edge. — Katsushika Hokusai, Tiger in the Snow. Hanging scroll, ink and colour on silk, 1849. Private collection, USA.

About this source

What it is

This is a hanging scroll (kakemono) painted in ink and colour on silk by the Japanese artist Hokusai in 1849, towards the very end of his life. It is held today by a private American collector.

The scroll shows a tiger walking through snow beside snow-covered bamboo, with an inscription signed by the artist giving his age.

Why it matters

Hokusai painted many large cats in his final years, treating the tiger as a recurring personal subject. The confident brushwork, done when he was close to ninety years old, is often read as proof that his artistic powers had not faded with age. A later writer described him as still having the spirit of a "charging tiger" even as his body weakened.

Look closer

What does the tiger's expression and pose suggest about its mood?
Why might an artist near the end of his life choose to sign a painting mentioning his own age?
How does the lack of visible ground affect the feeling of the scene?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Hokusai on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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