For the Docents: Resources for Hokusai and the Art of Woodcut in Japan

From the Art Institute of Chicago and its Ryerson and Burnham Libraries.

Kyle Huck, Reference Librarian

Print Resources Available from the Libraries:

Hokusai (exhibition catalog) by Sarah Thompson

Call Number: NE1325.K3 A4 2015

The exhibition catalog for the original Boston Museum of Fine Arts exhibit, this volume provides an able introduction to Hokusai and how he approached his art.

Looking East: Western Artists and the Allure of Japan by Helen Burnham

Call Number: N6447 .B799 2014

A fascinating look at the Japonisme craze in Western art. This book explores a history the craze and the artists who participated in it, and juxtaposes their art alongside the work of their contemporaries in Japanese art, including Hokusai.

Hokusai’s Great Wave by Timothy Clark

Call Number: NE1325.K3 C53 2011


A close look at the Great Wave in particular, analyzed by Timothy Clark and published by the British Museum.

Dreams and Diversions : Essays on Japanese Woodblock Prints from the San Diego Museum of Art edited by Andreas Marks

Call Number: NE1321.8 .D74 2010 

Ten essays on the culture and society that the ukiyo-e art form grew out of and the long history San Diego has collecting Japanese work.

Japanese woodblock prints : artists, publishers, and masterworks, 1680-1900 by Andreas Marks

Call Number: NE1321.8 .M355 2010

A detailed history on ukiyo-e in Japan and the relationship between artists and publishers. Provides a survey on ukiyo-e artists including Hokusai, and goes in depth regarding the publishers of the artworks.

Articles Available in the Libraries from Art Full Text

Hokusai's Lines of Sight by Timon Screech

This article explores the cultural impact of Hokusai in Japan and internationally. It also explores his 1834 project "One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji," featured in the exhibit.

Hokusai's Great Waves in Nineteenth-Century Japanese Visual Culture by Christine Guth

Another exploration of cultural impact, this time more specifically in terms of "Under the Wave of Kanagawa," also known as "The Great Wave." The author discusses the original symbolism of the work and further explores how it is currently used visually in Japanese culture.

Useful Links
The original Boston Museum of Fine Arts Hokusai exhibit, which includes background information on Hokusai, as well as a look at the works featured in the exhibit and a couple of informational videos.

The Art Institute of Chicago's collection of Japanese artwork, including many works by Hokusai. Interpretive resources of the collection are also available, including the following:

• The Floating World Emerges: Selections from the Clarence Buckingham Collection part 1 

• The Floating World Emerges: Selections from the Clarence Buckingham Collection part 2

• Hokusai and His School: Innovations in Surimono Prints 

The Floating World of Ukiyo-E, a showcase of the Library of Congress's collection of Japanese prints, books, and drawings. Also includes a history and overview of the art form. 


Good luck in your research! As always, if you need any further assistance, or have any questions about the libraries and their holdings, feel free to contact us at the reference desk!

(As an aside, I have tried to fix the formatting of this post multiple times and it won't let me fix it. I don't know what's going on but it's driving me absolutely crazy, and I apologize for how it looks.)