Parody of Ariwara no Narihira's eastern journey
c. 1803
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban, surimono
Dimensions
26.2 × 39.8 cm (10 3/8 × 15 11/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
24490
Art Historical Context
Katsushika Hokus's *Parody of Ariwara Narihira's Journey* (c. 1803) is a delightful color woodblock print from Japan's Edo period, capturing the artist's playful take on a legendary tale. It riffs on the Heian-era poet Ariwara no Narihira's famous journey from *The Tales of Ise*, where he embarks eastward in pursuit of love and adventure amid cherry blossoms. Hokusai already a rising star in ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world"), transforms this classical story into a humorous, contemporary scene, blending reverence for literary tradition with Edo-era wit. Printed as an oban surimono—a l...
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...