Van Gogh & Hokusai

The work of Vincent Van Gogh offers countless lessons for artists and art enthusiasts alike. We often talk about connecting the dots in art and this week we delved into the inspiration behind Van Gogh's iconic painting "Starry Night" and the influence of Hokusai's "The Great Wave".


Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890  Netherlands), is one of the most renowned figures in Western art history. Born in 1853 to Theodorus van Gogh, a minister, and Anna Cornelia Carbentus from a prosperous Hague family. Vincent was a sensitive, gifted, and highly intelligent child. He left school at 15 to pursue a trade, already well-read and fluent in five languages. His near-photographic memory is evident in his meticulous drawings and paintings. Van Gogh suffered from epilepsy and the side effects of his medication, which led him to take up painting in 1881. His brother Theo provided financial support, and their extensive correspondence via letters offers valuable insight into Vincent's thoughts and life. The landscapes and people of his native Netherlands and his time in London greatly influenced his work. However, Japanese printmaking became a primary source of inspiration, with Van Gogh collecting over 600 prints. He admired these works as models of pure, uncorrupted artistic expression and often depicted them in backgrounds of his portraits. Japanese prints fundamentally changed his perspective on the world.

 Katsushika Hokusai( 1760- 1849 Japan) a Japanese Ukiyo-e artist of the Edo period, was a significant influence on Van Gogh. Hokusai is best known for his woodblock print series "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji", featuring the iconic "The Great Wave of Kanagawa". In his prolific career, he produced over 30,000 works, showcasing his innovative compositions and exceptional drawing skills. Hokusai is regarded as one of the great master's in art history, influencing not only Van Gogh but also Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and the Impressionist and Art Nouveau movements. 

 Degas once said of Hokusai, "He is not just one artist among others in the Floating World. He is an island, a continent, a whole world in himself."