Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji

Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji is a series of 46 landscape prints known as the masterpiece of Katsushika Hokusai, an ukiyo-e artist from the late Edo period. Hokusai's unique perspective and bold composition depict the scenery of Mount Fuji from various locations, and the artistry of the prints astonished people at the time and is still highly regarded both in Japan and abroad today. Although the series is titled "Thirty-six Views," the series actually consists of 46 prints, with 10 additional prints added to the 36 originally planned.

Compilation of Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji

• It is believed that the work was started around 1830, when Hokusai was over 70 years old.
• The publisher is Nishimuraya Yohachi
• Initially, the book was planned to contain 36 illustrations, as the title suggests, but due to popular demand, 10 more were added, bringing the total to 46.
• It is believed that they were published sequentially between 1831 and 1833.
• It became extremely popular due to the growing faith in Mount Fuji and the travel boom at the time.

Overview of Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji

Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji is a series of paintings that depict Mount Fuji from various locations, seasons, weather conditions, and times of day, using Katsushika Hokusai 's unique perspective and bold composition. The works vividly depict the landscapes of various places overlooking Mount Fuji, such as Mount Fuji as seen from Edo, Mount Fuji as seen from the Tokaido, and even Koshu and Suruga. Hokusai did not simply see Mount Fuji as a landscape, but depicted it as a symbol of people's lives and faith, as well as Japan's nature and culture. In addition, this work effectively uses " Prussian blue ," a Western pigment that had just been imported at the time, and the vivid blue expression further enhances the appeal of the work.

A masterpiece from Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji

Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji includes many masterpieces, but the most famous are " Under the Great Wave off Kanagawa " and " Fine Wind, Clear Morning " (commonly known as "Red Fuji"). In "Under the Great Wave off Kanagawa ," a small but imposing Mount Fuji is depicted behind huge waves, contrasting the threat of nature with the work of humans. Meanwhile, in " Fine Wind, Clear Morning ," Mount Fuji is depicted as a majestic figure, dyed red by the morning sun, emphasizing its grandeur and divinity. There are many other masterpieces in which people's lives and Mount Fuji are skillfully arranged, such as "Kajikazawa, Koshu," "White Rain Below the Mountain," and "Under Mannenbashi Bridge, Fukagawa."

The influence of Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji and its later evaluation

Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji made a great impression on people at the time with its innovative composition, vivid colors, and above all, the depiction of Mount Fuji, a symbol of Japan. It was also introduced to the West through the popularity of Japonism , and influenced many artists, including the Impressionists . In particular, Monet and Van Gogh learned a lot from Hokusai's art, and this influence can be seen in their works. Today, Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji is highly regarded around the world as a masterpiece representing ukiyo-e . Keywords such as "Thirty- six Views of Mount Fuji ," " Katsushika Hokusai ," " Mount Fuji ," " Landscape print ," " Vero-ai ," " Under the Great Wave off Kanagawa ," and " Fine Wind, Clear Weather " are important elements in understanding Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji. His works are housed in art museums around the world, and continue to fascinate many people even today.