HOKUSAI (1760–1849) MASAYUKI OVERPOWERING A GIANT WHITE MONKEY Sumi ink with highlights in pink and brown ink on heavy paper. Circa 1800. (Stains, minor wear to the edges). DIM. 37.8 X 27.2 CM (14 7/8 X 10 11/16 IN.) Published in: Orientations, ill. 8, p. 89 BAFJ, ill. 1, p. 32 To quote Bernard Rousseau, who dates the drawing to around 1800: “This drawing displays all the characteristics that would become Hokusai’s trademark for the next thirty years: an extraordinary natural accuracy, a interplay between fine lines for the faces and hands and bold lines of varying thickness for the clothing, hair rendered with inimitable lightness and volume, highlights in a very distinctive shade of pink, and calligraphy of a distinctly recognisable elegance”. (BAFJ, p. 33) Given the highly accomplished nature of this drawing—which is not a preparatory work for a print or a painting, but must have been created to stand on its own—Bernard Rousseau refers to the hypothesis put forward in particular by J. Hillier (Hokusai Drawings, 1966, p. 9). The latter describes this type of drawing as “presentation drawings”, which B. Rousseau translates as ‘gift’. Bernard Rousseau had no doubt as to the authenticity of this drawing, which he considered to be entirely in Hokusai’s own hand. The subject is the Hihi, a giant baboon that roamed the mountains of what is now Mie Prefecture and terrorised the local population. One day, the monster committed an irreparable act by devouring a young girl. Upon learning of this terrible tragedy, Yui Masayuki volunteered and succeeded in slaying the monster. This episode forms part of the golden legend surrounding the historical figure Yui Shôsetsu (Masayuki) (c. 1605–1651), a military strategist known for having been the principal instigator of the ‘Keian Incident’, a rebellion against the shogunate (1651). It should be noted that the title given to the work in both of Bernard Rousseau’s articles is ‘Yoshinaga slaying a gigantic white monkey’. However, the caption in the top left corner states, ‘The Story of Masayuki: [Masayuki] slays the Hihi in the mountains’ It would appear that Bernard Rousseau’s error stems from the fact that the leader of the expedition was the warlord Kiso Yoshinaga, accompanied by his four loyal lieutenants. This theme was depicted by Kuniyoshi (1836), his pupil Kunikazu (1853) and later by Yoshitoshi (1885). In all the depictions, Yoshinaga remains in the background, whilst one of his lieutenants attacks the monkey. In each of the three, the warrior’s name is different: Usui Matagorô in Kuniyoshi’s version, Higuchi Jirô in Kunikazu’s, and Yui Masayuki in Yoshitoshi’s, as in Hokusai’s. Another copy of the drawing is known to exist, held at the Metropolitan Museum in New York (see their website, freely accessible, ‘Album of Sketches by Katsushika Hokusai and His Disciples’ – the album of 97 sketches). Its dimensions are reported to be 39.4 × 26.7 cm (the standard size given for all the drawings in the album). Comparing the two, one notices, firstly, that the caption in the top left-hand corner is not quite the same, nor, at first glance, written by the same hand. It is more detailed, giving the warrior’s full name: “Yui Minbu-no-suke Tachibana no Masayuki …”. Furthermore, when placing the two drawings side by side, one notices certain differences, particularly in the lines, the rendering of certain details, and the warrior’s expression.