The Sumida Hokusai Museum, From March 9th, the second half of the exhibition will finally start!

We holding a special exhibition, from February 9th - April 4th, 2021 

The Soul of the Brush -the Line’s Pull, the Color’s Spell From Matabei to Hokusai and Kuniyoshi

From March 9th, the second half of the exhibition will finally start!

The word ukiyo-e tends to be associated with woodblock prints, but brush-drawn ukiyo-e, unique works that are the product of the brush of each artist, antedate prints. In these paintings, we can directly perceive the complex, profound color techniques these artists used as well as their distinctive brushwork.

This exhibition presents 125 brush-drawn paintings by more than sixty ukiyo-e artists. They include Iwasa Matabei, who is regarded as the precursor of ukiyo-e painters, Hishikawa Moronobu, the founder of ukiyo-e, plus Kitagawa Utamaro, Tōshūsai Sharaku, Katsushika Hokusai, and Utagawa Kuniyoshi. The abundance of works on display includes Important Cultural Properties, Important Works of Art, and about forty works being displayed for the first time, including newly discovered or rediscovered works.

Through these brush-drawn paintings, the wellspring of ukiyo-e, visitors will gain a visceral sense of the 300-year history of ukiyo-e—the force of each artist’s skillful strokes, magical colors, and the soul of the brush, alive in each painting.

Exhibition Composition

Section 1. From the Dawn of Ukiyo-e to the First Half of the Eighteenth Century

Section 2. Flourishing Ukiyo-e

Section 3. Bakumatsu Masters: The Katsushika and Utagawa Schools

Exhibition Highlights !

Iwasa Matabei

Tōshūsai Sharaku (n.d.)

Katsukawa Shunshō

Utagawa Kuniyoshi

Katsushika Hokusai

Kitagawa Utamaro

Exhibition Overview

■Exhibition title:

The Soul of the Brush -the Line’s Pull, the Color’s Spell　From Matabei to Hokusai and Kuniyoshi

■2 Term：March 9th (Tue) -April 4th (Sun)

■Closed: Every Monday or the following day if it is a national holiday.

■Hours: 9:30-17:30 (last admission 17:00)

■Website: https://hokusai-museum.jp/fudedamashii/

■Organizers: Sumida City, The Sumida Hokusai Museum

■Exhibition director: Masato Naito：Professor,Faculty of Letters, Keio University

■Planning cooperation：Edo Culture Laboratory Co., Ltd.