By Japanese artist Katsushika Ōi (ca, 1800–after 1857, daughter of the more famous Katsushika Hokusai), “Girl Composing a Poem under the Cherry Blossoms in the Night,” color on silk, hanging scroll, 88.8x34.5 cm, Menard Art Museum, Komaki City, Aichi, Japan. #WomensHistoryMonth #womenartists #womanartist #japaneseart #japaneseartist

The artist trained with her father and became part of the family business. She married artist Tsutsumi Tōmei, but divorced 3 years later. She was the better artist, and perhaps (most likely, I’d say) her superior skills caused friction in the marriage. She returned to her father’s workshop and never married again.

From Julie Nelson Davis, blog, “Hokusai and Ōi: Art runs in the family,” British Museum, London: “Hokusai said that 'when it comes to paintings of beautiful women, I can't compete with her – she's quite talented and expert in the technical aspects of painting.'…

She apparently gained a reputation for her skill as a painter during her own lifetime. The artist Keisai Eisen (1790–1848) wrote that she 'is skilled at drawing, and following after her father has become a professional artist while acquiring a reputation as a talented painter.'”