Katsushika Hokusai

Born in Edo (modern-day Tokyo), Hokusai began painting at a tender age, though he was already nearly 40 when he adopted the name Hokusai and started producing the works for which he is most celebrated. He changed his name, and his residence, over thirty times during his lifetime, which suggests either an extreme case of wanderlust or a deep-seated desire to avoid bill collectors, or perhaps both. A true artistic chameleon, he dabbled in everything from courtesans to landscapes, and even illustrated novels.

His magnum opus, the