Hokusai (1760-1849) lived during the Tokugawa period (1600
to 1867). In a Japan of traditional Confucian values and feudal
regimentation, Hokusai was a thoroughly Bohemian artist: cocky,
quarrelsome, restless, aggressive, and sensational. He fought
with his teachers and was often thrown out of art schools. As
a stubborn artistic genius, he was single-mindedly obsessed with
art. Hokusai left over 30,000 works, including silk paintings,
woodblock prints, picture books, manga, travel illustrations,
erotic illustrations, paintings, and sketches.
