Schetsen van Hokusai - deel 4 1878

Curator: Here we have “Sketches by Hokusai, Part 4,” dating back to 1878. This woodblock print book is part of the Rijksmuseum collection. Editor: My initial feeling is that it has an incredibly fragile quality, emphasized by the staining and creasing across the surface. There's an austerity to it, a sense of delicate age. Curator: Indeed, the aging process has left its mark, adding to its palpable history. This book belongs to a series of sketchbooks—"Hokusai Manga"—a compendium of thousands of images documenting Japanese life, culture, and folklore. They showcase Hokusai's broad artistic vision. Editor: "Manga" here, does that link directly to the contemporary understanding of the term? The way visual narrative is handled within each frame, with the cover hinting at a concentrated microcosm contained within. Curator: Precisely! Hokusai's "Manga" are considered precursors to modern manga, exploring a playful visual vocabulary. This cover serves as a symbolic gateway to a vast and diverse pictorial world. The cover even shares that linear panel that became standard within future comics’ frame-based narrative sequencing. Editor: That enclosed rectangle containing text against a stark background – it provides a structured entrance. A carefully calibrated arrangement of contrasting forms creates visual hierarchy with a fascinating interplay of light and shadow. And even in such aged condition, the quality of that seal maintains visual interest. Curator: The script, combined with the publisher's seal, situates us within a particular cultural and historical moment. Think of this cover as a mask revealing an array of narratives. Inside we discover the roots of Japanese visual culture as it flowered into what it is today. Editor: So this weathered surface isn't merely a historical artifact but a threshold? We gain a concentrated viewing that amplifies visual impact? Well, I came in with one sense about this simple aging paperback, and now, looking more intently at its simple graphic construction, it functions as a door… to Japanese sequential illustration history!