| Hokusai left the Katsukawa school in [[1793]], at the age of 33, expelled according to some accounts. This came shortly after the death of both his master Katsukawa Shunshô, and his own young wife, who left him with a son and two daughters. Taking the name Sôri, he continued to produce works in his own personal style, in a variety of formats (single sheets, books, ''surimono'', etc.) and themes. It is said that his "strikingly individual style [of depictions of] frail, wistful female figure[s]"<ref>Lane. ''Images from the Floating World''. p162.</ref> emerged at this time, and would have cemented his legacy as a first-rate figure artist, had he not gone on to do so much more over the course of his nearly 90 years of life. | | Hokusai left the Katsukawa school in [[1793]], at the age of 33, expelled according to some accounts. This came shortly after the death of both his master Katsukawa Shunshô, and his own young wife, who left him with a son and two daughters. Taking the name Sôri, he continued to produce works in his own personal style, in a variety of formats (single sheets, books, ''surimono'', etc.) and themes. It is said that his "strikingly individual style [of depictions of] frail, wistful female figure[s]"<ref>Lane. ''Images from the Floating World''. p162.</ref> emerged at this time, and would have cemented his legacy as a first-rate figure artist, had he not gone on to do so much more over the course of his nearly 90 years of life. |