“Japanese Prints: Hokusai at LACMA” is on view through July 28 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s Pavilion for Japanese Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles.
The museum’s collection includes excellent prints by the renowned Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849). Among the museum’s holdings are two of his most iconic works, popularly known as “Red Fuji” and “The Great Wave.”
A recent gift from Max Palevsky added to the museum’s collection a complete set of the eight prints from Hokusai’s legendary series “A Tour of Waterfalls in the Provinces”:
• “The Yoshitsune Horse-Washing Falls at Yoshino, Izumi Province”
• “Rōben Falls at Mt. Oyama, Sagami Province”
• “Falls of Kirifuri at Mt. Kurokami, Shimotsuke Province”
• “Yōrō Falls in Mino Province”
• “Kannon Shrine at Kiyo Falls, Sakanoshita, Tokaido”
• “Falls of Aoigaoka in the Eastern Capital”
• “Falls of Ono on the Kisokaidō”
• “Amida Falls on the Kiso Highway”
In addition to these color woodblock prints, the current exhibition also features pages from woodblock printed books as well as preparatory drawings. Loans from the Barbara Bowman Collection include several surimono — commissioned prints made for specific occasions that typically employ special techniques or materials.
This exhibition was made possible through the recent gift by Palevsky and through generous loans from the Barbara Bowman Collection.
Designed by architect Bruce Goff (1904-1982), the Pavilion for Japanese Art houses the museum’s collection of Japanese works dating from around 3000 B.C. to the 21st century. The second-level West Wing gallery is devoted to archaeological materials, Buddhist and Shinto sculpture, ceramics, lacquer wares, textiles, armor, and cloisonné; the East Wing features paintings, primarily of the Edo period. On the plaza level, the Raymond and Frances Bushnell Gallery offers a rich array of the miniature sculptures known as netsuke.
Museum hours: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Closed Wednesdays.
Admission: Free for members and kids under 18; $10 for seniors and students; $12 for groups of 10 or more; $15 for all other guests. Free admission after 3 p.m. Monday through Friday for L.A. County residents, on the second Tuesday of each month, and on selected federal holidays, sponsored by Target.
For tickets and more information, visit www.lacma.org/.
Hokusai had some outstanding pupils. The best one is probably Hokkei, who mainly worked in the surimono format. See the Hokusai surimonos from the Bowman collectiion in this exhibition
– Here is a link to a fine surimono by him. http://www.japaneseprintappraisal.com/2007/05/katsushika-hokkei.html