Edo meisho|Famous Sites of Edo

Art Historical Context

**Edo Meisho (Famous Sites of Edo, created by the renowned Katsushika Hokusai 1800, is a captivating two-volume illustrated book from Japan's Edo period (16151868). Produced as a polychrome woodblock print with ink and color on paper each volume measures a compact 10 1/16 × 6 5/8 × 1/4 inches, making it an accessible guide to the bustling sights of Edo—modern-day Tokyo. Hokusai, a master of ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world"), captures the vibrant urban life of the time through lively scenes featuring men and women in tea houses and other popular spots. This work exemplifies the woodblock printing technique's brilliance, where intricate carvings on wooden blocks allowed for vivid, multi-color impressions that democratized art for everyday viewers. As an early publication in Hokusai's prolific career, it reflects the era's fascination with meisho-e (famous place pictures), blending tourism, entertainment, and social observation. Tea houses, central to Edo's pleasure districts, highlight the leisure culture of merchants and samurai alike. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Art Department (gift of Mary L. Cassilly, 1894), *Edo Meisho* offers a window into 19th-century Japan's dynamic street life, showcasing Hokusai's keen eye for composition and color that would later influence global artists like Impressionists. A delightful snapshot of a thriving metropolis! (198 words)

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...