Snow Morning at Koishikawa

Koishikawa yuki no ashita
Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji

Katsushika Hokusai

Artwork Description

This scene is set in Koishikawa, a high ground area in present-day Bunkyō, from which Mount Fuji could be seen beyond the Edo cityscape. The viewpoint is elevated, likely from the upper floor of a teahouse. After a night snowfall, the city lies under a continuous white surface, extending across rooftops and open ground.

Hokusai constructs the composition through a near-horizontal division. The lower half of the image is occupied by snow-covered terrain and clustered architecture, while the upper half opens into a clear sky. Along the horizon line, figures gathered for snow viewing align with the distant silhouette of Mount Fuji. The horizon becomes the structural meeting point between observer and mountain.

The decision to adopt a pulled-back viewpoint is central to the work. Rather than framing Fuji from within the interior of the teahouse, Hokusai withdraws the vantage point to allow the snow itself to dominate the foreground plane. The wide expanse of white establishes spatial breadth and atmospheric clarity. Snow is not incidental detail; it defines the compositional field.

The figures stand distinctly within this open space. They are not absorbed into the landscape but positioned along the dividing line of earth and sky. Their gestures direct attention outward, yet they remain structurally balanced against Fuji across the horizon. The mountain does not overwhelm them; both elements occupy equivalent visual weight within the frame.

Three birds traverse the sky, introducing directional movement across the upper register. Their placement expands the sense of depth while maintaining equilibrium within the broad horizontal structure.

This work clarifies a rare moment within the series: a landscape defined by absence and openness rather than density. Snow, viewers, and Mount Fuji form three distinct yet interdependent elements. The foreground plane of white amplifies the contrast between human presence and distant permanence, reinforcing the structural dialogue that underlies the entire series.

About Katsushika Hokusai

Katsushika Hokusai was one of the most influential ukiyo-e artists of the Edo period. Active as painter and printmaker, he expanded ukiyo-e beyond portraiture into landscapes, nature, and scenes of everyday life.

In Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, Hokusai transformed landscape into a structural system—juxtaposing motion and stillness, labor and faith, industry and leisure—while anchoring each composition with the enduring presence of Mount Fuji.

Reproduction

This work is a 20th century lithographic reproduction of Hokusai’s Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji.

It is not an original Edo period woodblock print, but a later limited edition lithograph.

Hand printed and numbered 180/300 in pencil on the lower margin.

Details

Medium: Lithograph
Edition: 180/300
Size: 410 mm × 600 mm

All artworks are sold as shown in the photographs.