Hokusai#2 "Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji"

 Hokusai's "Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji" is a very famous ukiyoe.

Canon's website currently has a detailed introduction to "Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji".

Canon Creative Park
You can download all 46 works of "Fugaku Sanjurokkei (Katsushika Hokusai)" for free
https://creativepark.canon/jp/categories/CAT-ST01-5514/index.html

Today, we will be quoting images from that site.

Let's give a brief explanation of "Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji".
・Published in 1831. Ukiyo-e depicting tourist attractions (landscapes) were popular.
・There are 46 prints.
・Hiroshige Utagawa's "The Fifty-three Stages of the Tokaido" was also a big hit. Noteworthy
・Utagawa used imported dye "Prussian blue".
・For more information, see Wikipedia.
 

The Great Wave off Kanagawa
This is the most famous Japanese painting in the world. It expresses the contrast between stillness and motion, near and far, man and nature, and sea and sky. The waves in the painting are a depiction that Hokusai perfected over the course of his long career. In Europe, it is known as The Great Wave.

 

  Fine Wind, Clear Morning
This work was painted from the area around Mitsutoge in Fujiyoshida City. Gaihu is the southern wind of summer. As there is still a little snow on the mountain peak, it must be early summer. The sea of clouds in the sky and the green sea of trees create a beautiful scene of the mountain. 

Fujimigahara in Owari Province
This is the area around Fujimi-cho in the present-day Naka Ward of Nagoya City. It is the furthest location from Mt. Fuji of the 36 Views of Mt. Fuji. Hokusai liked to use geometric compositions. In this work, he arranges a triangular Mt. Fuji and a square rice field in a round tub.

Kajikazawa in Kai Province
The Fuji River, which flows through Yamanashi Prefecture, is one of Japan's three fastest-flowing rivers. This work was painted in the area around Kajikazawa, which is located along the Fuji River. It depicts a fisherman pulling up a casting net and the swirling waves in a realistic manner. On the other hand, Mt. Fuji is simplified with a contour line.

 

Sazai Hall at the Temple of the Five Hundred Arhats
The Five Hundred Arhats Temple was located in present-day Ooshima, Koto Ward. The buildings in the precincts were in the shape of a spiral shell, so it was called the "turban shell hall". The view from the turban shell hall was famous, and it became a famous place visited by many people.

 

 Shichirigahama in Sagami Province
When you look at Mt. Fuji from Shichirigahama in Shonan, you can see Enoshima in the foreground. This work uses the technique of aizuri, which expresses scenery using shades of indigo blue. The indigo blue is drawn using a colorant called Persian blue, which was imported from overseas. 

Tsukudajima in Musashi Province
The word 'Buyo' refers to Edo. Tsukudajima is the area around Tsukuda in Chuo Ward today. Although it is now land, it was an island called Tsukudajima in the Edo period. The boats and scenery surrounding Tsukudajima are drawn using the aizuri technique.

 

Tatekawa River Lumberyard at Honjo
This painting depicts the lumber wholesalers that used to be on both sides of the Tatekawa River in Sumida Ward. The composition, with the vertically standing lumber and the firewood piled high in the foreground, is eye-catching. The lumberjacks throwing the lumber across the river add movement to the painting.

 

Rice Paddies at Ono in Suruga Province
The name Ono-shinden still survives in Fuji City, Shizuoka Prefecture. At the time, it was a wetland area dotted with swamps. The painting contrasts the people going back and forth with the cow carrying a bundle of reeds on its back in the foreground, and the quietly standing Mt. Fuji in the background.

 

Goten Hill at Shinagawa on the Tokaido
In the Edo period, Gotenyama was a famous place for cherry blossom viewing, with a panoramic view of Tokyo Bay. The painting depicts commoners enjoying the cherry blossoms, including people drinking sake under the blooming cherry trees, a woman carrying a child on her shoulders, and people dancing with folding fans spread out.

There was also an English version of this site, but it did not have any explanations. The explanations below the images are translations of the Japanese version using DeepL.

 

Canon Creative Park
You can download all 46 works of "Fugaku Sanjurokkei (Katsushika Hokusai)" for free
https://creativepark.canon/jp/categories/CAT-ST01-5514/index.html

 

Supplementary information: About Ukiyo-e

Ukiyo-e is a type of woodblock print. It was created with the aim of mass production, so it is possible to obtain it at a low price. During the Edo period, a bowl of soba noodles cost 16 mon, and colorful ukiyo-e (nishiki-e) prints could be obtained from 20 mon.

Ukiyo-e became known overseas when it was used as wrapping paper for ceramics and other items being exported, and as cushions.

Because they are woodblock prints, ukiyo-e can still be made today. Ukiyo-e prints made by skilled craftsmen using high-quality Japanese paper and ink are also sold. Even these works can be bought for around 10,000 yen to 30,000 yen, and even the high-quality ones can be bought for around 50,000 to 100,000 yen.
Ukiyo-e from the Edo and Meiji periods can also be bought. These are second-hand items, and the cheaper ones are sold for around 1,000 yen.
(If you come across a very expensive ukiyo-e print, be suspicious of the price of the frame or hanging scroll.)

 Most ukiyo-e prints have lost their copyright, so you can get high-quality images for free. You can even print them out at home and make a wonderful work of art.

Please enjoy ukiyo-e prints.