Bidspirit auction | Woodblock Print by Katsushika Hokusai

Woodblock Print by Katsushika Hokusai from Ehon Suikoden - Woodblock print by Katsushika Hokusai from Ehon Suikoden Japan, Edo period, circa 1829. Paper, woodblock print. Dimensions: 20.5 x 25.8 cm. Passe-partout dimensions: 32 × 42 cm. A sheet from the album Ehon Suikoden. Condition: Slightly browned, but very well preserved. Katsushika Hokusai created several illustrated versions of the Suikoden stories, the most famous being the Ehon Suikoden from 1829, a woodblock-printed book depicting heroic figures from the Chinese classic Shuihu zhuan (Water Margin). One of the titles associated with these works is Chugi Suikoden ehon, often translated as ''Picture Book of the Suikoden'' (Loyalty). The Ehon Suikoden is Hokusai's illustrated adaptation of the Chinese novel Shuihu zhuan, known in Japanese as Suikoden. It was published between approximately 1827 and 1829 during the Edo period. The work comprises three volumes with a total of 66 dynamic illustrations of the 108 outlaw heroes. The images emphasize dramatic action, heroic poses, and powerful landscapes, typical of Hokusai's style. The work is considered a masterpiece of Japanese book illustration and an important cultural bridge between Chinese and Japanese narrative traditions.