Kōshū Misaka Suimen
Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji
Katsushika Hokusai
Artwork Description
Kōshū Misaka Suimen presents one of the most spatially dynamic compositions within Hokusai’s Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji. The print depicts the rarely seen western face of the mountain from the Minobu region of Kai Province. Here, the Fuji River surges through steep valleys, carving its path toward the distant sea.
The composition is built upon opposing forces. The river cuts diagonally across the foreground in powerful motion, while jagged mountain ridges rise sharply upward, fracturing the sky. Mount Fuji itself appears partially obscured behind drifting cloud and terrain. The eye is pulled between horizontal flow and vertical ascent, creating a sense of immense scale and structural tension.
Travelers and packhorses advance along the riverbank, reinforcing the theme of endurance. Human movement is steady but small in comparison to the geological force surrounding it. Nature dominates, yet it does not erase humanity. Instead, the scene suggests perseverance within a formidable landscape.
Color plays a crucial role. Deep blues, muted greens, ochres, and soft grays create layered atmospheric depth. Gradated tones and overlapping planes produce the sensation of mist and velocity. Fuji’s partially hidden form introduces symbolic resonance: the sacred mountain is not fully revealed, but glimpsed through effort and distance.
Within the broader Edo-period development of landscape prints, this work demonstrates Hokusai’s mastery of spatial layering and directional contrast. It is both a study of physical terrain and an expression of spiritual magnitude.
About Katsushika Hokusai
Katsushika Hokusai was one of the most influential ukiyo-e artists of the Edo period. Active as both painter and printmaker, he expanded ukiyo-e beyond portraits of actors and courtesans into landscapes, nature, and scenes of daily life.
His series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji stands as a milestone in Japanese printmaking. Through structural experimentation, atmospheric depth, and bold compositional contrasts, Hokusai reshaped the expressive language of landscape within ukiyo-e.
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.
