36 Views of Mount Fuji, The back of Fuji from the Minobu river, Katsushika Hokusai, Japanese Print
The back of Fuji From the Minobu River or Minobu-gawa ura Fuji is one of Katsushika Hokusai’s series of The Thirty-Six Views of Fuji or Fugaku sanjurokkei (oban Yoko-e).Hokusai depicts the travellers and horses walking run down to the Kuonji Temple, which is believed to be the head temple of Nichiren sect.
In fact, from the print some of the travellers are likely to be headed to the temple. They are all surrounded by the overlapping waves and the rugged rocky-mountains. The wave droplets are drawn with white small points that refreshes the Ukiyo-e screen. Hokusai utilizes the technique of Nishiki-e of wood print art. The entire impression of the wood block print art, which Hukosai learned when he was only six-years-old and later on at fourteen years-old as an apprentice at the bookshop and library, is used in this print to depict the dark brown of Mount Fuji.
There is a tense deep blue of the mountain next to it and the greener trees that tighten at the far end.
Hokusai created the “Thirty-Six Views” both as a response to a domestic travel boom and as part of a personal obsession with Mount Fuji. It was this series, specifically The Great Wave print and Fine Wind, Clear Morning, that secured Hokusai’s fame both in Japan and overseas. As historian Richard Lane concludes, “Indeed, if there is one work that made Hokusai’s name, both in Japan and abroad, it must be this monumental print-series”. While Hokusai’s work prior to this series is certainly important, it was not until this series that he gained broad recognition.
All prints are made using archival art stocks and UV pigment inks to give up to 200 years life. Choose from unframed, framed and mounted and canvas panel options.
