Hokusai manga (Hokusai Sketchbooks), vol. 12 Possibly 1834

Curator: So, here we have a page from volume 12 of Hokusai's Sketchbooks, also known as the Hokusai Manga. Editor: Wow, the spread feels incredibly dynamic! I'm immediately drawn to that almost cartoonish creature and the sense of impending doom. Curator: These sketchbooks, by the artist born in 1760, served as visual dictionaries for his students, but they also offered a glimpse into the everyday life and folklore of 19th-century Japan. Editor: It's funny, there’s such a stark contrast between the chaotic scene on the left with the creature and the almost static, enclosed group on the right. Curator: Absolutely. The sketchbooks presented a range of subjects, from landscapes to animals, demons to ordinary people, capturing the social milieu of the Edo period. Editor: It's fascinating how Hokusai blended the real with the surreal; a snapshot of daily life punctuated by the fantastic. Curator: Indeed, Hokusai's work continues to resonate because it reflects humanity's enduring fascination with both the mundane and the extraordinary. Editor: A beautiful reminder that even in the most grounded realities, there's always room for a little bit of magic, or terror, lurking around the corner.