Mount Fuji is one of the most prominent mountains in the world, considered a symbol of Japan. More than 300,000 people climb Mount Fuji every year, while tourists from all over the world travel to Japan to catch a glimpse of the famed mountain. Many people who have never seen Mount Fuji in person even recognize its image, and that’s largely thanks to ukiyo-e (Japanese woodblock printing) artist Hokusai.
At the height of his career in his 70s, Hokusai worked on the first project of its kind: a series of nature landscape woodblock prints. With Mount Fuji as its theme, the project titled Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji showcases Hokusai’s honed skills and artistic vision of the iconic mountain in the 1830s.
Many of these prints can be viewed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art including Hokusai’s best known work, The Great Wave off Kanagawa. Those interested in taking a closer look can check out art and design critic Elisabetta Scantamburlo’s book, Hokusai’s Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji. The beautiful Japanese-bound book features the original 36 prints in the series, and the ensuing 10 prints the artist created as a result of the series’ success. Scantamburlo provides not only technical explanations for each print, but also offers cultural and historical context that helps readers deepen their understanding of each image.
Combining aspects of reality and his own imagination, Hokusai depicts Mount Fuji in intriguing ways through the print series. At times, the mountain is the focal point of the image, and at others, it is distant in the background. The series spans landscapes in tranquil nature and busy towns, bustling with human activity. Despite Mount Fuji’s inanimate nature, it is as if we see the mountain’s liveliness through its various forms, such as an imposing, immovable force or an inconspicuous, silent observer, in different prints. Regardless, Mount Fuji offers a sense of stability; while the world is ever-changing, Mount Fuji is always there.
The series showcases Hokusai’s unique artistry as he applies Western perspective and Japanese techniques to produce a new style that engages audiences. Hokusai’s depiction of motion, from gusting winds and surging waves to teeming crowds, is striking, dynamism clear in every print. Coupled with the vibrant colors, the prints invite viewers to look more closely at the details. While Mount Fuji is what ties each print in the series together, Hokusai goes beyond the mountain itself and depicts Japan’s natural beauty, culture, and the human condition.
