Show CEUIKSHANK OF THE JAPS An Artist Who Matured at 50 and Was in His Prime atSO I GREAT TRUTH TO NATURE I HOKUSAX IS A VERY IIVTERESTIXG CHARACTER I Is Reported He Could Draw With AnythingAn Egg a Quart Bottle or His Tlmmlj Nun anti Could Use His Left Hand us Well us His Raglif RaTa Pamphlet Found in San Francisco BY L 33 CHITTENDN Copyright 1895 iThs McClure Limited Lim-ited A professional engagement once detained de-tained me for some months in the city of San Francisco In a store under the Palace Pal-ace hotel owned < by an Am rica who had hotel ownc I resided for several year in Japan I passed many pleasant evenings examining examin-ing illustrative specimens of Japanese art Of these I made a consldetable number of mae purchases among them a half dozen of I the dagger handles formerly worn in the hilts of Japanese swords These were of different and the finest bronzes io ex qulbltely fashioned that each was obviously obvi-ously the work of an accomplished artist Like almost every other specimen of Japanese Ja-panese handiwork each handle represented represent-ed some character some subject in their mythology or their history As I wished to have them used for fruit knives it occurred t1em curred to me to have a similar design engraved on the blade pf each knife Upon making my wishes known to the proprietor of the shop he introduced me to a young Japanese student of English vho lie thought would make the designs I wantefJ After a few words of escpplan ation the student took from the counter n piece of brown wrapping paper upon which he made some rapid strokes with a pencil Within two or three minutes he I handed me the paper with the Inquiry Is it something of this kind you want I happy This is married intended lfe to represent a long and by the fewest lines and in the simplest manner Possibly this was the reason why I became so much interested In this single pamphlet that I promptly commissioned commis-sioned the shop keeper to procure for me the other numbers of the series of twelve to which he had informed me this one belonged be-longed In a few days he gave me the welcome intelligence that he had succ lcd l-cd in filling my order Holmsai D Very Interesting Clmrne ter The striking character of these drawIngs draw-Ings necessarily excited an interest in tho life history of the artist Through inquiries inqui-ries made of the proprietor of the store and from other sources I learned that Hokusai was a celebrity in Japan and by nO means without honor in his own country coun-try He appears to have had his full proportion portion of the quaint peculiarities of artistic ar-tistic genius He was born In 1760 in the most picturesque and flowery quarter of Yeflflo His family name is mot definitely known for he is said to have assumed many different noms do plnceau to escape es-cape the Importunity of curiosity hunters and with the same object to have changed his residence monthly The name Hokusai by which he is commonly com-monly known Is said by some to mean Genius of the North and by others Studio of the North the latter referring refer-ring to the location of his workshop Pe aietl in locton at the ripe age of 9 Apri years and was buried In the Buddhist temple of Saikiodje In Yeddo He remained poor all his life for he confined con-fined himself to depicting modern subjects in a strictly realistic manner a kind of art not fashionable In Japanat that date fahonable pencil earned for him only small prices He was distinctly the artist of the people among whom his sketches were exceedingly popular for they exhibited in the most vigorous and I lifelike manner all the homely avocations and amusements the familiar pete flowers I flow-ers and pleasures of the common folk er Very naturally among the rich ana cultured cul-tured diamols It was not coxsidereU an evidence of taste to adorn ones walls ssiith the hakemonos of Hokusai Most of his designs and paintings were made especially for the engraver on thin sheets of Japanese paper intended to ba fastened upon the wood block and necessarily neces-sarily destroyed in the execution we sec therefore today very few of the original paintings although the number executes athough by him must have been in proportion to his prolific work in other directions A lilaIL Who Matured at Fifty and IVas in His Prime at Eighty The history of this remarkable man until his middle life Is practically a blank Hie powers appear to have matured tured late and 5n consequence to have experienced no decline with years rather continuingqin the process of development until his death All that can fbe ascertained ascer-tained of Ms earlier productions is that they were principally designs for woodcut wood-cut illustrations to short poems New Years cards etc and that they attracted at-tracted but little attention In his Descriptive and Historical Catalogue of L 1 7 I ricj L1 I Wr I A DRAWING BY HOKUSAT His drawing explained itself A highWay I I high-way ran in graceful curves from the foreground fore-ground into the seeming Infinity Upon it Were two tortoises slowly traveling in the most affectionate and placid manner away In the background I expressed my delight de-light assured him that the sketch was lght just what I wanted and asked him to execute ex-ecute live others each on a different subject sub-ject which he promised to do before the next evening He kept his promise On the following evening he brought me the six sketches They were drawn with the pen on a small sheet of cardboard Experts who have since examined them say that the hand of the artist Is apparent in every line The designs were used as inter el desigs and I am very certain that the bride who received tha knives had no more artljt f on her wedding day I A Rare Japanese Pamphlet in a San Francisco Shop In the show window of the same shop lay a open pamphlet exposing two pages of curious wood cuts They were printed on only one side of the thin paper j c IL A DRAWING 11Y HOKUSAI which was in use at that time for all Japanese Jap-anese literature In the farther examlnj tlon of the pamphlet I become much interested In-terested I learned from the owner of the store that these wood cuts were a portion of the sketches of one Hokusai a Japanese Japan-ese ast who lived during the early part of the present century Those who have been disposed to underestimate Japanese art should study these specimens a I dlel Holmes was unquestionably the Cruik usa Japan His pencil had all the vigor and humor of his British brother artist and Was morE faithful to the can ons of art The man who could make a ma spirited horse with four strokes of his brush as Hokusai did knew that It was the mission of art to represent a subject j ll1f > Japainese and Chinese Paintings in the British Museum Mr Anderson tells us that the turning point tn Hokusals career ca-reer was the publication of the ilangwa or rough sketches in 1S12 These comprise com-prise a most extraordinary collection of strong and masterful though as the name implies often rough delineations of natural occupations and sports famous mythological and historical personages birds insects animals of all kinds in cliarajoterfsitia attitudes and surround lags musical instruments and utensils of every variety many interesting scenes from natura history together with a great number of grotesque and comic designs in which the art of the master is perhaps at its best An immediate popular celebrity followed I fol-lowed the publication of this remarkable work Students and imitators arose without number many of whom pdld I not hesitate to use one of the two characters forming the successful artists I ar-tists name adding to It some individual and characteristic sign of their own The Mangnva were in great demand a Copies for art students and artisans and it is interesting to discover much of the Japanese pottery an1 lacquer work of today the influence of the m ter Showing through the sometimes successful suc-cessful often crude work of his woulll be imitators IIolEiisai Could Draw With Anytliiiiff I I 5s reported that Hokusal could draw with anything an egg a quart measure a bottle or his thumb nail I and could use Ibis left hand as well as his right His personality was a most agreeable one He was witty without being malicious a very close < and keen though kindly observer and as Mr Anderson says A veritable cyclopedia of folk lore and legend It is certain that his life must have been simple healthful and abstemious for he retained his remarkable vigor of constitution to tie day of his death At the age of 80 he wore no glasses and was as indefatigable inde-fatigable in his industry as during his youthful days Only two years before his death he published a manual of instruction in-struction which was equal to his best efforts An Interesting glimpse of the personality person-ality of the man is afforded by the following fol-lowing literal translation of a curious note written by himself Since ever I was 6 years of age I have been possessed with a mania for drawing the forms of objects When I was well on < for 50 I a published an Infinite number of drawings but I am dissatisfied With all I produced prior to the age > of 70 I a at the age of 73 that I came near to a comprehension of the true for and nature of birds of fishes of plants etc Consequently at the age of SO I shall have made much progress at 90 years I stall touch the bottom cf things at 100 years I shall have decidedly attained a state superior Indefinable at the age of 110 be it a point be it a line all Will be living I ask of those who will live as long a I do to see If I keep my word Written at the age of 75 years by me formerly Hokusai nol GonakijoRodjln the old dotard of drawing How well is exemplified in these few words tie resolution the force and the tireless activity which find their constant expression in the work oi the master hand Li UJC Hv HoIcusnlH StOl tAi t-Ai Q colorisf i purcTand simply H1k siDes si-Des not rank high while in grandeur 01 4 I4 i ii14 h n Ic i i I l 1 t1t l I i t I o A DRAAVTLVO BY HOKUSAI i conception and delicacy of ouch fte is i outclassed by many of the more highly educated and cultured of the Japanese artists But In his own line the accurate accur-ate and lifelike depicting of actual scenes and objects with the fewest possible pos-sible strokes seizing the essential char 1 aptenstics of each with unerring precision pre-cision Hokusai stands unrivalled I Many a delightful evening Shave I passed in my library examining the pamphlets lhich I secured during my stay in San Francisco I am inclined to Chink that most of them belong to the Mangiwa series but others seem rather to DO a collection of his designs for screens pottery lacquer etc On first looking over my new acquisitions in the shop under the Palace hotel I became naturally anxious to understand the meaning of many O the designs the significance sig-nificance cf which was not apparent to a foreigner The proprietor informed me that the young student that had made > the drawings for my knife blades was sufficiently well informed to understand the meaning of the pictures and a he was studying our language the exercise of translating Into English would be useful use-ful to him A short trial convinced me of ithe young mans competency and I asked him to take all the numbers to his rooms and at his leisure to write above each wood cut his understanding of its import as explained in the Japanese I Japan-ese characters accompanying the de cIgs He expressed serious doubts as to his ability to do this He knew well enough what the pictures meant in Japanese but he was almost certain that he could not write I in good English He knew our grammar fairly well but he had ascertained ascer-tained that farther knowledge and much practice were Indispensable to enable him to put together the words he found in the dictionary I encouraged him assured him that I would not he critical and finally induced him to undertake the I work Some Picturesque Annotations of Ho Icusal I A short time afterwards with much trepidation he returned the numbers tome to-me with hisannotations He had wrought so faithfully that it would have been I cruel to show any doubt of his success I praised his work with warmth though J confess it was not easy for me to preserve I pre-serve a sober countenance as I hastily i looked over some of his titles They may comical to others did not seem so a they to me I think they are worth reproducing reproduc-ing here to Illustrate soma of the anomalies anoma-lies of our English speech and the difficulties difficul-ties they present to an intelligent Japanese Japan-ese student who i endeavoring tO study our grammar as defined by Lindley Murray Mur-ray The art of writing and speaking the language correctly His orthography and etymology are usually usu-ally accurate He had apparently nO use for the article definite or Indefinite But some of his combinations were excessively amusing his formation of he feminine often curious and his transposition of letters most comical in its results The value and interest of my copies of Ho kusais work are greatly enhanced to > me by these accompanying explanations of my young translator a few of which I will quote He defines a pleasant faced person driving out a most illfa vored individual as New Year Custom saying Happiness come in unfortunc go i downs are part of a castle Very striking is Treasoner called Masakado and famous fa-mous warrior loyalist to his majesty His name is Quan Having been detracted by i I wrong fellow he quit to mountain and Soliciting Gods aid i At the head of many soldiers who carry a huge bell is Famous man Hi l desto coming back from sea palace place A wildeyed person is Ayanobubone poetess of the old time An ancient octagonal building is Erecture that contains sacred book brought from China by before meaning presumably I peum ably that the structure was built belfore its removal from China A mighty bell surmounted by huge dragons Is Olden bell engraved with image god or god dess four below fellows also imagine godConnubial Connubial felicity i expressed in God and godnes well fit between wife and husband Omitting many perhaps equally curious I curi-ous I will present the Small boy called 1II 1 t A DRAWIXG BY HOKUSAI Hachiman he became very celebrated warrior afterward and worshipped as i 1 God Grand old man its his vassel this boys mother being queen among her 1 rogu She gone to Coreo and overturn all i the people This Interesting statement seems to I imply not only the existence of a Japanese I Japan-ese Gladstone but gives us a remarkable forecast of Japans course of action at the present day I may appropriately close these quotations with a reference i to the modest figure of a woman standing I stand-ing upon the shore gazing pensively out over upn calm Illimitable ocean defined quiet by my young friend as All the world at I aim acquainted with no collected designs de-signs of any artist living or dead Which I in many points are comparable to those of Hokusai I suppose there are more than fifteen hundred in my collection which is not ISP ft w is 1 jr 4J T1LtjJ jp I I I j I ct i 4 iii t i Lce t 4pr i I A DRAWING MY HOICUJAJ I mtt Famous dory name is Kukai 1 and other famous clergys is followed by Imagine God and Godnes Famous peat poet comes net after Fall poC a 8ketcu in two sections The uppar is Highclass officer and prince name eel rnce Odonomya Two below men philosopher Od0Omy3 Another is Highclass wife and peel rshclass and had high officer The next is also I of shows how toJ Jn two sections Upper ho arrange soldiers in front of battlefield i T T I I I T T T T T T I I nor does 1 claim to be by any means complete I does not comprise views of Fusi Yams one cf his best known productions nor many other of his most characteristic works Yet i comprises representatives of the Whole field of imagination nature history and a broad area of u l 1 exceileivt gas hal b rrmada from resin gs I < = 1 = = |