Grasshopper and Iris, Japan, Edo period, Katsushika Hokusai

Katsushika Hokusai was a Japanese artist, ukiyo-e painter and printmaker of the Edo period best known as author of the woodblock print series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (富嶽三十六景 Fugaku Sanjūroku-kei, c. 1831) which includes the internationally iconic print, The Great Wave off Kanagawa.

During the 19th century, there was a great deal of interest in botany and a proliferation of botanical illustrations being produced. Many famous botanical illustrators, such as Pierre-Joseph Redouté and John James Audubon, were active during this period and produced some of the most iconic and influential botanical illustrations of all time. Botanical illustrations from the 19th century often featured detailed, accurate representations of flowers and other plants, and were created using a variety of mediums, including pencil, ink, watercolor, and colored pencils. Some of the most beautiful botanical illustrations from this period were created using watercolor, which allowed the artist to capture the delicate, transparent qualities of flowers and other plants. In addition to being used for scientific purposes, botanical illustrations from the 19th century were also highly prized for their beauty and were often used to decorate homes and other public spaces. Many of the most famous botanical illustrations from this period are still admired and collected today for their beauty and historical significance.