Katsushika Hokusai “Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji”

The series “Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji” is one of the most celebrated works of Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) and an outstanding example of ukiyo-e landscapes. The famed masterpieces “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” and “Red Fuji” are both a part of this series, which was released by the publisher Nishimura Eijudo from around 1830. As the series title suggests, 36 works were published in the beginning, but since the series was so popular, 10 were added to create a series of 46 works. Mt. Fuji is featured in every piece, but each view is so distinct that one never tires of looking at them. Various artistic techniques are incorporated in the series, such as “aizuri-e” that are printed only in shades of blue. Around the time the series was created, the sacred mountain was attracting many groups of pilgrims, and miniature versions of Mt. Fuji were built around the town of Edo. This was the social trend that led to the creation of “Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji” and made it such a great hit.