Hokusai manga (Hokusai Sketchbooks), vol. 2 Possibly 1814 - 1878

Editor: Here we have Hokusai’s manga sketchbook, volume two, from the early 19th century. The pages are filled with lively sketches of animals. What strikes me is the sheer volume of images and the way they are laid out. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Well, for me, it's about production and consumption. These sketchbooks weren't high art, but affordable resources. Hokusai's labor, churning out countless drawings, fueled a demand for accessible imagery. How does the materiality of this volume, its paper and printing, relate to its purpose? Editor: That's fascinating. So, it's less about individual genius and more about the machinery of art-making? Curator: Exactly. This isn't rarefied art; it's a commodity, shaped by the artist's hand and the market's appetite. Thinking about the social context reframes our understanding. Editor: I will keep that in mind. Thanks so much.