Shötei Hokuju

SUMMARY: Shötei Hokuju (worked early 1800s to mid-1820s) was probably the most original of Hokusai's many pupils. As Dr. Lane notes: "His cubist landforms, highly stylized clouds, and near photographic figures and dwellings provide a curiously modern concept of the world." Influence from the West is quite pronounced in his work, and despite rather limited understandings of Western form, the results are surprisingly fine and seem to almost presage Post-Impressionism. Two especially successful series are to be viewed in the current exhibition, one published by Eijudö and the other by Eikyüdö, which provide clear evidence of Hokuju's great originality.

The dates of Hokuju's birth and death are unknown. He was a pupil of Hokusai, but otherwise practically nothing is known about him. His earliest known surviving work, a "surimono", is dated 1802. His work seems to have been sparse. Fenellosa assigned a date of 1835 to his landscapes, but recent research suggests a working period from the early 1800s to the mid-1820s.

Research by: Howard A. Link.