Image: Katsushika Hokusai, Clam Gatherers on the Shore. Ink on color silk. Undated.

One of the things we missed most for the last year was art museums. One of the impacts of the pandemic for museums was planned exhibits that did not happen.  Now one of those exhibits is is getting a delayed opening at the Freer – along with the opening of the Freer itself.  As a commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the museum, and tied to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the Freer intended to do large exhibition of works by the celebrated Japanese artist Hokusai lasting all of 2020.

The exhibit is now open and includes a rarely-seen painting by Hokusai with a familiar theme: large waves.  As impressive as that painting is, we are a site that focuses on food, so for our weekend art posting, we are highlighting a different work, and one that is typically not on view either.  Clam Gatherers on the Shore is undated and there is little about it on the Smithsonian site. It does include an image of Mt. Fuji – the subject that secured Hokusai’s fame.

Hokusai was born in Edo, the capital of the Tokugawa in 1760, though the exact date is uncertain as is lineage.  His childhood name was Tokitarō, but he would adopt several pseudonyms in the course of his life.  It was under the name Katsushika Hokusai that he gained fame and generally was called just Hokusai.

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We hope you are able to enjoy the Mall and its treasures, whether visiting from out of town or a local stretching your legs.  While we have your attention, we also want to let you know that art postings are a side gig to the primary purpose of this site, which is a dining guide for Washington, D.C. We have more than 300 recommended restaurants that you can sort by cuisine, neighborhood, and current operating status (dine-in and/or take-out, etc.) in either LIST or MAP format.

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