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Arts feature

These rediscovered drawings by Hokusai are extraordinary

These rediscovered drawings by Hokusai point to him as the father of photography and modern animation, says Laura Gascoigne

13 February 2021

9:00 AM

13 February 2021

9:00 AM

Lost boys, lost women, lost civilisations, lost causes — the romantic ring of the word ‘lost’ is media gold. So when the British Museum announced last autumn that it had acquired 103 ‘lost’ drawings by Hokusai, one was tempted to take it with a large pinch of salt.

How do 103 drawings by Japan’s most famous artist simply disappear? The answer is, surprisingly easily.

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