"Below Mannen Bridge, Fukagawa" from 36 views of Mt.Fuji series by Hokusai

Description : 

Built on the shores of Edo Bay, the city of Edo was defined by a network of rivers and canals that sustained daily life. Mannen Bridge, depicted here, spans the Onagigawa Canal at its junction with the Sumida River in the Fukagawa district—one of Edo’s most active waterways for trade and transport.

Hokusai’s composition adopts a low, upward-looking viewpoint, likely from a boat drifting on the river. The powerful curve of the Taiko (drum) Bridge dominates the frame, its arc counterbalanced by the horizontal rhythm of the warehouses across the far bank. The perspective leads the viewer’s eye beneath the bridge arch toward Mount Fuji, perfectly framed in the distance.

While Western linear perspective was known to Hokusai, he intentionally distorts its strict logic for compositional harmony. The rooftops on both banks are lowered to elongate the horizontal line of warehouses, extending spatial depth and visual rhythm. The work’s geometry—arcs, verticals, and diagonals—creates a dynamic equilibrium between stillness and motion, solidity and fluidity.

This print demonstrates Hokusai’s mastery of structural beauty and spatial invention. The lively procession of pedestrians on the bridge contrasts with the quiet fisherman below, encapsulating the pulse of Edo life. Beyond mere depiction, Under Mannen Bridge at Fukagawa captures a perfect fusion of human activity, architectural form, and the eternal presence of Mount Fuji—a microcosm of Edo’s coexistence with nature.

Hokusai Katsushika : 
Known simply as Hokusai, was a Japanese Ukiyo-e artist of the Edo period, active as a painter and printmaker. 
He is best known for the woodblock print series Thirty six views of Mt Fuji, which includes the iconic print The Great Wave Off Kanagawa. Hokusai was instrumental in developing Ukiyo-e from a style of portraiture largely focused on courtesans and actors into a much broader style of art that focused on landscapes, plants, and animals. His works are thought to have had a significant influence on Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monete during the wave of Japonism that spread across Europe in the late 19th century.

REPRODUCTION : In the 20th century, artists and publishers collaborated to recreate famous woodblock prints, providing them to Japanese collectors and Westerners seeking rare designs.
New blocks were made, and artisan printers painstakingly printed each color using the same method as the 19th-century originals.

Limited edition lithograph
Hand-printed, numbered 180/300 on margin.
Size : 
410mm x 600mm