Hokusai's genre scenes, bijin-ga (beautiful women), and miscellaneous subjects represent the breadth of his career across more than seven decades. The market for non-landscape Hokusai prints has strengthened as collectors seek beyond the most famous designs.
An outdoor gathering for a picnic among figures who may be a poetry circle or pleasure party is depicted in this [surimono](/glossary/surimono) from around 1801–07, the refined luxury printing indicating a privately commissioned work rather than a commercial release. Picnicking (hanami for cherry blossoms, or moon-viewing outings) was a major form of leisure sociability in Edo, and Hokusai captures its pleasures with the warm, attentive eye he brought to genre subjects.
1821
Color woodblock print with metallic pigments; surimono shikishiban
1822
Color woodblock print; shikishiban, surimono
1822
Color woodblock print; shikishiban, surimono
c. 1832
Color woodblock print; oban
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Picnic party was created by Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾北斎) in c. 1801/07.
Picnic party depicts figures, cherry blossoms, and daily life.
