Description

The catalogue presents Italy's most comprehensive Hokusai exhibition, at Palazzo Bonaparte in Rome, celebrating Japan ties, featuring Thirty-Six Views, Great Wave, Ukiyo-e masterpieces, and his profound influence on Western Impressionism.

The catalogue of the most comprehensive exhibition ever held in Italy, at Palazzo Bonaparte in Rome, dedicated to Katsushika Hokusai (1760 1849), a supreme master of Japanese art and a key figure in global visual culture. The exhibition is part of the official programme of celebrations marking the 160th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Italy and Japan, sealing a deep and enduring cultural dialogue between two artistic traditions that continue to influence and enrich one another. Through a broad and multifaceted journey, the catalogue curated by Beata Romanowicz guides the reader in discovering not only the celebrated Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, including the iconic The Great Wave off Kanagawa, but also an extraordinary selection of woodblock prints, illustrated books, and rare objects from the prestigious collection of the National Museum in Krakow, one of Europe’s most important collections, which includes remarkable examples of Japanese art, particularly from the Edo period (1603 1863). The reader is led into the refined universe of Ukiyo-e, the “Floating World,” where nature, the movement of water, landscapes, female figures, and the life of the Japanese people become protagonists of a poetic and surprisingly modern vision. The volume explores the work of an artist who profoundly influenced the Western imagination, inspiring Monet, Van Gogh, and the entire Impressionist movement. AUTHOR: Beata Romanowicz is a curator and art historian associated with the National Museum in Krakow. She specialises in Far Eastern art, particularly Japanese Edo-period prints and Ukiyo-e. She has curated several exhibitions dedicated to Japanese masters, including Katsushika Hokusai. Her work focuses on enhancing European museum collections and fostering cultural dialogue between East and West. SELLING POINTS: . The most comprehensive Hokusai show ever held . Rare works from the National Museum in Krakow . A bridge between Eastern and Western artistic traditions . Prints, illustrated books, and unique artifacts 300 colour illustrations