A Cloth Merchant
1760-1849
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Accession Number
F1904.215
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
About this artwork
To 1904
Art Historical Context
Katsushika Hokus (1760–1849), one of Japan's most celebrated artists, captures the vibrant everyday life of Edo-period Japan (1615–1868) in *A Cloth Merchant*. This depicts a humble yet dignified man, likely a textile seller from the bustling merchant class that thrived during this era of relative peace and prosperity under the Tokugawaogunate. Hokusai, renowned for his ukiyo-e woodblock like *The Great Wave off Kawa*, often turned his keen eye to ordinary people, infusing their portraits with subtle character and cultural nuance. Though the medium remains unidentified, the work exemplifies H...