The Old Man Mad About Drawing: A Tale of Hokusai - Hardcover

Place, Francois

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1567922600 ISBN 13: 9781567922608

Publisher: David R. Godine Publisher Inc, 2003

Synopsis

In 1993, Francois Place's "The Last Giants" was universally acclaimed a work of great, if heartbreaking, originality. In this recent effort, he brings to life the immortal Japanese illustrator and printmaker Hokusai. And just as he made real the "land of the giants," so he brings the reader into the swirling and vibrant world of Tokyo. Trained early as an engraver, Hokusai studied under the master Sunsho, producing illustrated volumes of verse. His first manga volume followed in 1814, after he abandoned the traditional style of engraving to perfect the technique of the colored woodcut, in what many consider his greatest work, "The 36 Views of Mt Fuji". His life was unsettled, his marriages uncertain, and his business affairs irregular, but his energy was boundless. He left for posterity thousands of sketches and drawings, illustrated books and prints, saying - just before he died in 1889 - "If heaven gives me ten more years (or even an extension of five), I shall certainly become a true artist." The exuberance of his life is marvelously conveyed in Place's tribute to an artist who clearly ranks among his heroes. Both have the same genius for draughtsmanship, the perfectly defined, energetic stroke, the subtle wash. We see the humour & pathos of Hokusai's life, recorded through the eyes of a young apprentice. This is a lovely book by an artist and writer we consider among the very best of his generation.

About this title

Synopsis

In 1993, Francois Place's "The Last Giants" was universally acclaimed a work of great, if heartbreaking, originality. In this recent effort, he brings to life the immortal Japanese illustrator and printmaker Hokusai. And just as he made real the "land of the giants," so he brings the reader into the swirling and vibrant world of Tokyo. Trained early as an engraver, Hokusai studied under the master Sunsho, producing illustrated volumes of verse. His first manga volume followed in 1814, after he abandoned the traditional style of engraving to perfect the technique of the colored woodcut, in what many consider his greatest work, "The 36 Views of Mt Fuji". His life was unsettled, his marriages uncertain, and his business affairs irregular, but his energy was boundless. He left for posterity thousands of sketches and drawings, illustrated books and prints, saying - just before he died in 1889 - "If heaven gives me ten more years (or even an extension of five), I shall certainly become a true artist." The exuberance of his life is marvelously conveyed in Place's tribute to an artist who clearly ranks among his heroes.

Both have the same genius for draughtsmanship, the perfectly defined, energetic stroke, the subtle wash. We see the humour & pathos of Hokusai's life, recorded through the eyes of a young apprentice. This is a lovely book by an artist and writer we consider among the very best of his generation.

Edition details

• Publisher: David R. Godine Publisher Inc
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1567922600
• ISBN 13: 9781567922608
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 112