"Great Wave off Kanagawa" by Hokusai ceramic tile

Katsushika Hokusai (1760 – 1849), known simply as Hokusai, was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist of the Edo period, active as a painter and printmaker. He is best known for the woodblock print series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, which includes the iconic print The Great Wave off Kanagawa. Hokusai was best known for his woodblock ukiyo-e prints, but he worked in a variety of mediums including painting and book illustration. Starting as a young child, he worked and continued to improve his style until his death, aged 88. In a long and successful career, Hokusai is considered one of the greatest masters in the history of art.