Transmitting the Spirit and Revealing the Form of Things- Hokusai's Sketchbooks 1817

This is the cover of *Transmitting the Spirit and Revealing the Form of Things- Hokusai's Sketchbooks* (1817), a sketchbook created by the renowned Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849). This sketchbook, now housed in the Minneapolis Institute of Art, is a small but significant example of Hokusai's artistic process. The cover, made of brown paper with a single label, is unassuming but hints at the wealth of creative ideas found within. Hokusai is best known for his woodblock prints, such as *The Great Wave off Kanagawa*, but his sketchbooks offer a glimpse into the artist's creative exploration and development.