Katsushika Hokusai, woodcut and paper, 1814. 7.4 in × 10.5 in

Hakusai was born in October or November of 1760 in Japan. Born to a artisan family, his entry into the art world was to be expected. He was known by over thirty different names in is lifetime, and much as his persona changed so his the style of his art.  

( http://www.katsushikahokusai.org/biography.html )

Traditional Japanese art is a varied and lovely thing. From pottery to silk screens, every piece of it has a watery almost serene look to me. This image is Sumi-e, or an ‘ink picture’ it combines ink and calligraphy to make a rather unique and stunning composition.

I chose this image because it toys with a lot of themes from Japanese art, with a subject matter that is disturbing and shocking. I don’t know why it surprised me to find a famous piece of art depicting an octopus pleasuring a woman, but it did. Even if the shock teeters on disgust, art should make you feel and this piece did.


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