Sima Guang and Shibata Katsuie, from the series "Five Sibling Pictures of China and Japan for the Zakurogaki Group (Zakurogaki-ren goban no uchi wakan e-kyodai)"

Art Historical Context

Katsushika Hokus, the legendary Japanese artist renowned for his ukiyo-e woodblock prints like *The Great Wave off Kawa*, created *Sima Guang and Shib Katsuie* in 1821. This color woodblock print belongs to the series *Fiveibling Pictures of China and for the Zakurog Group* (Zakurogaki-ren goban nochi wakan e-kyodai). Produced as a *shikishiban* surimono—a square-format (20.9 × 18.5 cm) luxury print commissioned for private poetry circles—the work exemplifies Hokusai's mastery during the Edo period, blending whimsy with cultural reverence. The print pairs Sima Guang, a revered 11th-century Ch...

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...