Three Great Warriors of Shuhan (Guan Yu, Liu Bei, and Zhang Fei) looking at a handscroll, with a poem by KÅ«manya Utagaki no Maeda Possibly 1821

Curator: This print by Hokusai, whose birth we celebrate this month, depicts the Three Great Warriors of Shuhan—Guan Yu, Liu Bei, and Zhang Fei—absorbed in a handscroll. Editor: What strikes me is the material contrast here. The delicacy of the paper is juxtaposed with these imposing figures, each rendered with such vibrant, almost garish color. Curator: Yes, it's a wonderful tension. Hokusai layers a poem by Kūmanya Utagaki no Maeda on top of the warriors, uniting image and text. Imagine the labor involved in crafting the woodblocks for each color, each line. Editor: You're right. And thinking about the consumption of such prints, these weren't unique artworks, but rather multiples, bringing tales of heroism to a wider audience. A democratization of legend, perhaps? Curator: Perhaps. Hokusai has always sought for the essence in art. Editor: An essence revealed through process and paper.