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Tiger in the Snow

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Tiger in the Snow
ArtistKatsushika Hokusai
Year1849
TypeHanging scroll, ink and paint on silk
Dimensions39 cm × 50 cm (15.375 in × 19.625 in)
LocationPrivate collection

Tiger in the Snow is a hanging scroll (kakemono) painted by Japanese ukiyo-e artist Hokusai in 1849. It is one of the last works he produced in his long and prolific career.

History and description

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Towards the end of his life, Hokusai began to draw many large cats. Between 1842 and 1843 Hokusai painted a shishi lion every day as a talisman against bad luck in a practice he called nisshin joma, or "daily exorcisms".[1] In his final, years tigers became a subject matter to which he returned several times.

In the painting the ground is invisible and the tiger seems to float through the snow-filled air. The snow-covered bamboo fronds echo the claws of the tiger.[2] His fur is rendered with wavy lines, a sinuous effect more in keeping with a snake or dragon. The tiger's expression has been variously described as a smile or a snarl, the tiger himself appears joyful, amused,[2] and "royally pleased with himself".[3]

The signed inscription reads: "Month of the Tiger, Year of the Cock, old Manji, the old man mad about painting, at the age of ninety". The work, possibly his last painting, was done just a few months before his death aged eighty-nine by Western reckoning.[2] It shows that even in his old age, Hokusai's powers remained undiminished.[3] Narazaki Muneshige wrote of this painting, "While the artist's body was emaciated and bones wearied by age, in his thoughts he was a charging tiger". The seal reading Hyaku, or "One Hundred", is another sign of Hokusai's preoccupation with longevity.[4]

Art market

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The painting was sold by Christie's auction house for US$772,500 in October 1998.[4] It is held by a private American collector.[2]

References

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  1. ^ Machotka 2009, p. 214.
  2. ^ a b c d Calza 2003, p. 503.
  3. ^ a b Smith, Roberta (7 April 2006). "Hokusai in Washington: A Retrospective of the Restless Japanese Master". New York Times.
  4. ^ a b "An Important Collection of Japanese Ukiyo-e Paintings: Lot 83". Christie's. Retrieved 3 November 2020.

Sources

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