As I mentioned in my previous blog, a wealthy farmer and merchant in Obuse, Kozan Takai invited Hokusai Katsushika to Obuse. In Obuse, Kozan strongly supported Hokusai. Kozan built an art studio called “Hekii-ken” for Hokusai.
In 1844, when Hokusai was 85 years old, Hokusai spent about 6 months to make a Dragon paint and a Phoenix paint which are for the ceiling of the festival float of Higashi-machi.
Dragon Paint
Phoenix Paint
Higashi-machi Festival Float (Dragon on the left of the ceiling/Phoenix on the right)
Next year, in 1845, Hokusai made another paints on the ceiling of the festival float of Kanmachi. They are “Onami”, male wave, and “Menami”, female wave.
Onami (Male Wave)
Menami (Female Wave)
Kanmachi Festival Float (Onami on the left of the ceiling/Menami on the right)
Onami and Menami were made 2years before he made the Phoenix ceiling paint in Gansho-in Temple.
In 1849, Hokusai made other famous paint celled “Fuji-koshi-no-Ryu”, rising dragon over the Mt. Fuji.
Fuji-koshi-no-Ryu (Rising Dragon over the Mt. Fuji)
This paint expresses rising dragon over the Mt. Fuji painting in black and white. Mt. Fuji was painted with geometric shape which was Hokusai unique method and it seems that the rising dragon wearing black cloud looks like Hokusai himself approaching the end of his life. This was made 3 months before his death and seems his last work.
You can enjoy many works of Hokusai in the Hokusai-kan in Obuse, Nagano Prefecture. There is another Hokusai museum in Tokyo. I would like to visit some time and to report it as well.
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