Exhibition/event has ended.
The Lineage of Hokusai’s Beauties—Rivalry Among Masters
The Sumida Hokusai Museum
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Today Hokusai is famous for his Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji and other landscapes depicting famous places. He was, however, also so well known for bijinga, pictures of beautiful women, that he is mentioned as a bijinga expert in the 1800 novella Taitōkeigo (Courtesans’ Words Through Connoisseurs). In this exhibition, we focus on Hokusai’s roots as a master of bijinga and the evolution of his style in that genre.
Katsukawa Shunshō, his teacher when Hokusai first set foot in the world of ukiyo-e, was also a bijinga master. Kōhen Fūzokutsū (Connoisseurs’ Manners and Customs, Vol. 2), a novella published in 1775, praises him highly, stating, “One painting by Shunshō is worth a thousand pieces of gold.” Hokusai can be positioned within an orthodox lineage of bijinga artists that includes Miyagawa Chōshun, who specialized in brush-drawn paintings, his bijinga characterized by a delicate, graceful style, Chōshun’s student Miyagawa (Katsumiyagawa) Shunsui, and Shunsui’s student, Shunshō.
Hokusai’s style changed greatly throughout his career, with its evolution closely connected to the style of bijinga fashionable at the time. In this exhibition, we explore those changes in Hokusai’s style, plus works by members of the bijinga lineage, from Miyagawa Chōshun to Hokusai and by ukiyo-e artists who were his contemporaries. We will also, we hope, make clear the captivating appeal of his work and its position in the bijinga realm.
Katsukawa Shunshō, his teacher when Hokusai first set foot in the world of ukiyo-e, was also a bijinga master. Kōhen Fūzokutsū (Connoisseurs’ Manners and Customs, Vol. 2), a novella published in 1775, praises him highly, stating, “One painting by Shunshō is worth a thousand pieces of gold.” Hokusai can be positioned within an orthodox lineage of bijinga artists that includes Miyagawa Chōshun, who specialized in brush-drawn paintings, his bijinga characterized by a delicate, graceful style, Chōshun’s student Miyagawa (Katsumiyagawa) Shunsui, and Shunsui’s student, Shunshō.
Hokusai’s style changed greatly throughout his career, with its evolution closely connected to the style of bijinga fashionable at the time. In this exhibition, we explore those changes in Hokusai’s style, plus works by members of the bijinga lineage, from Miyagawa Chōshun to Hokusai and by ukiyo-e artists who were his contemporaries. We will also, we hope, make clear the captivating appeal of his work and its position in the bijinga realm.
Schedule | Sep 16 (Tue) 2025-Nov 24 (Mon) 2025 Opening Hours Information
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| Fee | Adults ¥1500; University and High School Students, Seniors 65 & Over ¥1000; Junior High School Students ¥500; Elementary School Students and Under free. | ||||
| Website | https://hokusai-museum.jp/modules/Exhibition/exhibitions/view/4353?lang=en | ||||
| Venue | The Sumida Hokusai Museum https://hokusai-museum.jp/?lang=en | ||||
| Location | 2-7-2 Kamezawa, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 130-0014 | ||||
| Access | 5 minute walk from exit A3 at Ryogoku Station on the Toei Oedo line, 9 minute walk from the East exit of Ryogoku Station on the JR Sobu line. | ||||
| Phone | 03-6658-8936 | ||||
| Related images | Click on the image to enlarge it |
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