The artwork “Sketch of Four Faces,” created by the renowned artist Katsushika Hokusai, employs ink on paper as its medium and belongs to the “Ukiyo-e” art movement. Measuring 27 x 23.2 cm, this piece falls under the genre of “sketch and study,” and is currently housed at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City, NY, US.
The artwork features four distinct faces, displaying a variety of expressive features and emotions. Each face, rendered in a stylized and exaggerated manner typical of Hokusai’s practice sketches, showcases different aspects of human expression, providing a glimpse into the artist’s observational and creative process. The composition is divided evenly into quadrants, with two faces placed in the upper section and two in the lower section, each character sporting unique, dramatic facial features. The use of minimal lines combined with subtle shading highlights the dynamism and emotional range captured in these studies.
