Hokusai 53 Stations of the Tokaido 1802

Description

Hokusai’s 53 Stations of the Tokaido 1802 is something completely different from his first square edition 1801.

Hokusai here employs the horizontal “landscape” format and abt the double size of his square 1801 edition.

In this series Hokusai focus on wonderful folkloric scenes of ordinary people going about their work, in addition to the travel scenes.

Hokusai also begins to develop the landscapes that were to become a standard for later generations of Tokaido series.

Hokusai develops the concept of the Tokaido print from cartoon to folklore and the beginning of landscape. He builds on a b/w guide, Tokaido meisho zue from 1797, ISBN 9781956773316.

It was a great and early contribution to the growing Tokaido literature, which Hokusai dominated for some 30 years.