Bloem schelp
Medium
nishikie, with metallic pigments
Dimensions
203; 177
About this artwork
Legaat van J.A. Bierens de Haan, Amsterdam
Art Historical Context
**Bloem schelp (Flower Shell)** Katsushika Hokusai, 1821 Nishikie with metallic, 203 × 177 mm Behold *Bloem schelp*, a delicate gem from the masterful hand of Katsushika Hokus, the legendary Japanese artist renowned for his ukiyo-e wood prints. Created in 1821 during Japan's Edo period, this intimate work—measuring just 20 cm high—captures a flower and shell in exquisite harmony, evoking the transient beauty of nature central to the "floating world" aesthetic. Hokusai, then in his sixties and at the peak of his prolific career, produced thousands of such images, blending poetry with vis...
About the Artist
Katsushika Hokusai · 1760–1849
Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) stands as one of history's most influential artists, a Japanese master who revolutionized the ukiyo-e woodblock print tradition and profoundly shaped Western art. Born in the Katsushika district of Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to an artisan family, Hokusai lived through nearly nine decades of extraordinary creative evolution, adopting over thirty different artistic names t...