Preparatory study for illustration in “An Illustrated New Edition of ‘The Water Margin’” (Shinpen suiko gaden)

Description

Illustrated New Edition of "The Water Margin," a Japanese adaptation of a classic Chinese tale about a band of outlaws, shows two figures, isolated against blank paper. The final printed composition places the pair on the right, in a building framed by a rocky exterior; at the left, three men peer inside. The drawing gives insight into Hokusai’s working process. Light ink was used for the underdrawing, which shows the artist’s reworking of the figures’ complicated positioning; even sections of the paper were replaced. Atop is a final application of dark ink. Comparison with the printed illustration reveals slight differences in the rendering of the two figures, suggesting that this drawing was not the last study for the finished version