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During this high point in his career, Hokusai made paintings as well, very expensive commissions as compared to print designs, including many with very lavish colors on gold-foil backgrounds. On a number of occasions he painted for an audience - on at least one occasion, for the shogun - and often painted especially large works, for the sake of display.
During this high point in his career, Hokusai made paintings as well, very expensive commissions as compared to print designs, including many with very lavish colors on gold-foil backgrounds. On a number of occasions he painted for an audience - on at least one occasion, for the shogun - and often painted especially large works, for the sake of display.
In [[1812]], Hokusai traveled to [[Nagoya]] - one of his few journeys outside of Edo. There, he met the publisher Eirakuya, who convinced him to prepare a series of sketchbooks, which amateur artists might use as guides. The resulting ''[[Hokusai Manga]]'' was published over many years, with some volumes coming out even after Hokusai's death; it remains an exceptionally popular publication today.<ref>Christine Guth, ''Art of Edo Japan'', Yale University Press (1996), 114.</ref>
Hokusai's second wife died in [[1828]], when the artist was 68. She had given him another son, Sakijûrô, a daughter, [[Katsushika Oi|Ôi]] (also known as O-ei), and possibly another daughter, Onao. The rest of his family having either married and left home, or passed away, he had been living for a time in a rather difficult arrangement, with his wife, eldest daughter, who had divorced and returned home, and a delinquent grandson. Shortly after his wife's death, Hokusai's daughter and pupil Katsushika Ôi, an artist in her own right, divorced from her husband, and returned to her father's side, remaining with him the rest of his life.
Hokusai's second wife died in [[1828]], when the artist was 68. She had given him another son, Sakijûrô, a daughter, [[Katsushika Oi|Ôi]] (also known as O-ei), and possibly another daughter, Onao. The rest of his family having either married and left home, or passed away, he had been living for a time in a rather difficult arrangement, with his wife, eldest daughter, who had divorced and returned home, and a delinquent grandson. Shortly after his wife's death, Hokusai's daughter and pupil Katsushika Ôi, an artist in her own right, divorced from her husband, and returned to her father's side, remaining with him the rest of his life.