A Philosopher Watching a Pair of Butterflies, from The Picture Book of Realistic Paintings of Hokusai (Hokusai shashin gafu)
Details
- Palette
-
Select a color to find related artworks.
- Medium
- Color woodblock; album sheet
- Dimensions
- 22.8 × 33.9 cm (9 × 13 3/8 in.)
- Origin
- Japan
- Department
- Arts of Asia
- Holding institution
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Image provider
- art-institute-chicago
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Credit
- Frederick W. Gookin Collection
Art Genome Taxonomy
10 tags
Subject Matter
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Animals Both · 99%
The title identifies a pair of butterflies, and two butterflies are visibly depicted in the upper-left area of the composition.
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Human Figure Visual · 99%
A clearly rendered seated human figure occupies the central portion of the image, with visible facial features, hands, posture, and layered clothing.
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Implied Narrative Both · 96%
The seated figure is shown looking toward the butterflies, establishing a simple visual event described by the catalog title.
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Line, Form, and Color Visual · 96%
The image is structured through controlled contour lines, patterned linear details, and selective tonal marks in the figure’s clothing and surrounding objects.
Visual Qualities
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Sparse Visual · 97%
Broad areas of largely unprinted paper surround the figure and objects, creating an airy composition with substantial negative space.
Medium and Techniques
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Woodcut and Linocut Metadata · 99%
The Art Institute of Chicago catalogs the medium as color woodblock and the object as a print.
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Prints Metadata · 99%
The work is classified as a print and woodblock print in the museum record.
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Work on Paper Metadata · 97%
The catalog identifies the object as an album sheet, consistent with a work on paper.
Time Periods
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19th Century Art Metadata · 99%
The catalog dates the work to circa 1814, placing it within the nineteenth century.
Geographic Regions
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Japanese Art Metadata · 99%
The catalog records Japan as the place of origin and identifies the work as Japanese in culture or style.
Source & rights
Katsushika Hokusai. A Philosopher Watching a Pair of Butterflies, from The Picture Book of Realistic Paintings of Hokusai (Hokusai shashin gafu). The Art Institute of Chicago.