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At the age of 75 the Japanese
painter Hokusai (1760-1849) said, "All that I have produced
before the age of 70 is not worth taking into account. At 73,
I learned a little about the real structure of nature, of animals,
plants, trees, birds, fishes and insects. In consequence, when
I am 80, I shall have made still more progress. At 90, I shall
penetrate the mystery of things; at 100, I shall certainly have
reached a marvelous stage; and when I am 110, every thing I do,
be it a dot or a line, will be alive."
Hokusai teaches us that the wisdom
of old age lies in renewal, in meeting new challenges and looking
for fresh meanings. The greatest challenge of our advanced years
is to use the wisdom gained in a long life to fuel creativity.
Hokusai accepted the changes that age brings. He rejoiced in its
gifts.
A great innovator, Hokusai devoted
himself primarily to the depiction of scenes from the life of
the common people, and landscapes. Between the ages of 64 and
72 he produced his finest series of woodblock prints known as
"The Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji." These late works
combine the western mastery of perspective with traditional Chinese
and Japanese artistic conventions. The result is a semi-abstract
type of drawing and color pattern, which influenced French artists
like Degas, Gauguin and Van Gogh.
At an age when most people are thinking
of retirement, Hokusai was doing his best work. As the series
progressed, Hokusai's style changed and developed, indicating
remarkable energy. These landscape masterpieces are perhaps the
best-known Japanese artworks in the West.
Hokusai was busy creating exciting
works of art even after reaching the age of eighty and he looked
forward to the creative discoveries he would make after reaching
ninety. Just before he died on April 18, 1849 at the age of 89,
he said: "If heaven gives me ten more years, or an extension
of even five years, I shall surely become a true artist."
While many people approaching ninety
look inward, Hokusai's extraordinary gift was the wisdom to see
the essence of the world around him and the energy and creativity
to share his vision.
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