Hokusai und eine Hand

The prints take as their starting point the well-known self-portrait by Hokusai (1760-1849), the Japanese Ukiyo-e master. In the original ink drawing of 1842, Hokusai depicted himself in a kimono as an old man at the age of 83, an image Baselitz has been occupied with for years. Identifying with the Hokusai figure, Baselitz, in his eighties himself, points to his own work and position as an artist.