'Dragon' by Katsushika Hokusai, made for the Higashimachi festival in Obuse around 1844. This image is also available on:
T-Shirts, T-Shirts (no background)
Hoodies, Hoodies (no background)
In the early 1840s Hokusai, now in his eighties, was facing a series of challenges. His studio in Edo (Tokyo) had been lost to fire in 1839, along with much of his recent work, and the government censors were cracking down on ukiyo-e print art as part of the Tenpo reforms against vice and luxury. More cuttingly, his work was starting to fall out of favor with the public as younger artists like Utagawa Hiroshige (Ando Hiroshige) muscled their way onto the scene with new styles and interpretations. Hokusai, ever adaptable, decided to leave Edo entirely and move to Obuse (105 miles away), where he could count on the patronage of his friend and former pupil Takai Kozan, a wealthy merchant and local landowner. The small country town might have seemed like a good place for an old man to relax a bit, but Hokusai had no intention of retiring.
In Obuse, no longer under pressure from censors, publishers, or public tastes, Hokusai had the time and freedom to take his art to new levels. He may have taken as much as six months to paint 'Dragon', which along with 'Phoenix' was made for the ceilings of festival floats (Japan has a long tradition of elaborate mobile shrines and festival floats). He then followed this up with an improved and massively enlarged version of 'Phoenix' on the ceiling of nearby Gansho-in Temple. All this was done in-between a constant output of new paintings. Unlike much of Hokusai's work, which was ukiyo-e art and thus destroyed in the printing process, the originals of 'Dragon' and 'Phoenix' still survive in the local museum, and Gansho-in Temple still stands with it's own version of 'Phoenix' flying resplendent over the great hall.
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Reproduction print available on canvas, poster, framed poster, poster with hanger, or metal. See below for product-specific details.
Canvas:
- Wood frame, sustainably sourced (FSC certified materials).
- 2-3 cm (0.8-1.2") thick frame
- Shipped in protective packaging and strong boxes to ensure no damage during transportation.
- Mounting kit included
- Average Delivery Time: 5 - 7 business days
Poster:
- Museum-quality, long-lasting matte (uncoated) archival paper
- Paper-weight: 250 gsm / 110 lb
- Shipped in sturdy packaging protecting the poster
- Average Delivery Time: 2 - 3 business days
Framed Poster:
- Museum-quality paper with black, white or dark wood frame.
- 200 gsm / 80 lb matte (uncoated) paper
- Lightweight 1-2 cm (0.4-0.8") thick frame
- Shatterproof, transparent plexiglass.
- Includes hanging kit, to hang in both portrait and landscape orientations.
- For indoor use
- Frame and poster are delivered together. The poster needs to be mounted by the end-recipient.
- Average Delivery Time: 4 - 6 business days
Poster with hanger:
- Available in black, white, or dark wood
- Magnetic design holds your poster without damaging it.
- 170 gsm / 65 lb matte (uncoated) paper
- Premium leather cord matches the hanger color.
- The hanger and poster are delivered together. The poster needs to be mounted by the end-recipient.
- Average Delivery Time: 4 - 6 business days
Metallic Print
- Aluminum dibond 3mm with a white coating
- Printed directly onto the aluminum in top grade inks
- Good tonal gradation ensures accurate reproduction
- Matte and glare-free
- Includes a hanging kit
- Average Delivery Time: 5 - 7 business days