Circle of Katsushika Hokusai


Takashima Oiko and Saeki UjinagaMeiji era (1868-1912), late 19th centuryA hanging scroll, ink and colors on silk depicting the wrestler Saeki assaulting the legendary strong woman Oiko, Mount Fuji towering in the distance, inscribed Zen Hokusai itsu hitsu and bearing the seal HokusaiWith a wood storage box 36 1/2 x 14 1/8in (92.7 x 35.8cm)
|The design for this painting is taken from an image originally produced in volume 9 of Hokusai's manga series Denshin kaishu Hokusai manga(Transmitting the Spirit, Revealing the Form of Things: Hokusai Sketchbooks), first published in 1819. The scene depicts an encounter between sumo wrestler Saeki Ujinaga of Echizen Province and Takashima Oiko, a young widow noted for her great strength. The painter here, likely one of Hokusai's followersworking closely in his style, has placed the figures in a more developed setting than that of original manga design. In the distance, Mount Fuji rises above thatched cottages and distant clouds, adding a greater sense of depth to the composition.