From March 27th, Palazzo Bonaparte in Rome will host one of the most important exhibitions ever dedicated in Italy to Katsushika Hokusa (1760-1849), the most important Japanese artist and a decisive figure in universal visual culture.
Hokusai is, in fact, the main protagonist of the artistic production of the Edo period, between 1603 and 1863, which saw the greatest flowering of the culture of the floating world, the Ukiyo-e, creating new values for classical Japanese art.
The exhibition will remain open until June 29th and celebrates 160 years of diplomatic relations between Italy and Japan, a symbolic anniversary that makes this exhibition one of the most eagerly awaited events on the European cultural scene.
A prolific and imaginative painter and printmaker, Hokusai is known throughout the world above all for his Ukiyo-e prints in which nature, the movement of water, the landscape and female figures become the protagonists of an extremely modern poetic vision, which also involves the portrayal of the life of the Japanese people.
Over two hundred works will be on display, all from the prestigious collection of the National Museum in Krakow, well-known in Japan, which is exceptionally lending its works to Palazzo Bonaparte in Italy for the first major monographic exhibition outside of Poland.
The exhibition retraces Hokusai's creative journey, starting with traditional works such as 'The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido', through his great masterpieces such as 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa' and 'Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji', up to his more revolutionary works, represented by his famous manga and other illustrated albums with decorative motifs.
The exhibition also features extremely rare books and precious Japanese objects, including cloissoné enamels, travel accessories, helmets, swords and armor, as well as classical musical instruments.
The story is visually accompanied by traditional costumes, such as kimonos, haori jackets, and obi sashes, capable of creating a continuous dialogue between art, spirituality, and everyday life.
Original prints from leading international museums and rare examples of illustrated books featuring the thirty-six views of Mount Fuji will also be on display.
The exhibition aims to highlight the artist's extraordinary modernity, which influenced not only Japanese art but also European art of the 19th and 20th centuries, giving rise to the celebrated Japonism movement that so greatly influenced and captivated artists such as Degas, Monet, and van Gogh.
