Illustrated “Anthology of Tang-Dynasty Poems” in Five-Syllable Lines (Tōshisen ehon gogon ritsu hairitsu)
An 1833 Edo woodblock book by Katsushika Hokusai, published by Kobayashi Shinbei, illustrating a Tang-dynasty poetry anthology for a general reading public. The open double-page spread shows ink-line scenes of a tiled-roof house beside pines and rocks, with a robed figure on a bridge-like path under a gnarled tree, rendered in fine black outline on cream paper. A designer might take its economical line work, crisp contour drawing, and the way dense foliage and rock are compressed into quiet empty space.
