Maisaka, from the series "Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido (Tokaido gojusan tsugi)"
c. 1806
Medium
Color woodblock print; chuban
Dimensions
Approx: 24 × 18.3 cm (9 1/2 × 7 1/4 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
2962
Art Historical Context
Katsushika Hokus (1760–1849), one of Japan's most celebrated ukiyo-e masters, created *Maisaka*, from his iconic series *Fifty-three Stations the Tōkaidō (Tōkaidō gojūsan tsugi)* around 1806. This color woodblock print captures one of the 53 post stations along the historic Tōkaidō road, the vital coastal route connecting Edo (modern Tokyo) to Kyoto during the Edo period (1603–1868). Hokusai's series, first published in 1804–1806, revolutionized landscape printmaking by blending everyday travelers, dramatic scenery, and poetic vignettes, making grand journeys accessible to commoners. Printed ...
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...