36 Views of Mount Fuji

         It has come to my attention that I’ve never actually done a post on the famous series of wood block prints “Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji” by Hokusai (Japan, 1760-1849).  I did do a deep dive into the “Great Wave off Kanagawa,” which is the most famous of the series (and arguably the most famous wood block print in the world), so you can read about that at Under the Wave.  But I think the time has come to look at the series.

        Mount Fuji has probably always been a popular subject in Japanese art, given its dominance in the landscape, as well as its dominance in cultural and religious beliefs.  As far as the internet tells me, though, Hokusai seems to be the one who came up with the concept of a series centered around views of the mountain.  What makes the series interesting is the wide variety of ways Mount Fuji is portrayed, from scenes in which it dominates the entire view to scenes in which it is a mere pimple on the horizon.  The foregrounds include beautiful landscapes, scenes of agriculture and industry, different seasons, different weather and times of day…  Often the mountain is framed in interesting ways, such as under that great wave or a bridge, or between trees.

        As for the nitty-gritty of printing the series, the publisher started out with relatively few colors, until it became clear that the series was going to be a smashing success.  Then the prints were made with a full range of colors.  The series was also expanded, and there are actually 46 views. Hokusai also went on to publish One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji, a set of illustrated books with monochrome images that were more imaginative.  (You can see one at my post on Hokusai and Fantasy.)  As mentioned in the post about “Under the Wave,” these wood block prints were printed by the hundreds if not thousands for a mass market, and were not considered particularly precious.  Fewer than 10 complete sets are assembled in the world now, and the most recent complete set to go on auction in March 2024 sold for over three and a half million dollars.  Wikipedia has a nice list of the 36 + 10, with thumbnails, where you can see them all.

        As for the block prints themselves, I’ve included a few of my favorites.  First are two somewhat similar landscapes in which Fuji is definitely a focal point.  The first is a lovely scene but it seems slightly odd to me because the reflection doesn’t quite match the mountain as pictured.  Indeed, the reflection looks more like the snow-capped version of Fuji pictured in the second piece.

        Next I have two of the views that frame the mountain in interesting ways.  In the view under the bridge, however, Fuji is not centered, making it a little more interesting.  In the view between the trees, the people in the foreground are much more prominent.  Hokusai was noted for including all sorts of scenes of ordinary daily life in the foregrounds of his views of Mount Fuji.  I confess that although the “rules” of landscape painting (and photography) say always to put some people in for scale, I much prefer my landscapes to be people-free!  I don’t object to architecture, though.

        This scene of a waterwheel makes an interesting contrast between the extremely simple depiction of the mountain with flat blocks of color, and the much more complicated and detailed foreground with all the struts of the waterwheel and the texture of the water itself.

        I include this next one, often called “Red Fuji,” because it’s probably the second-most famous of Hokusai’s “Views.”  Its proper name is “South Wind, Clear Sky,” although the sky doesn’t look exactly clear to me.  It’s much clearer in the view above!

        And a final piece, in which I like the general view and the people crossing the sandbar, but I also like the way the triangle made by the mast and lines of the sailboat echoes the triangle of Mount Fuji.

        Okay, so today I’ve shared a few that I like, but I’m far from the only person to have been influenced by Hokusai’s series.  Tune in next time for a few more examples of “Views” inspired by these famous and iconic wood block prints.

[Pictures: Reflection in Lake at Misaka in Kai Province;

The Inume Pass in Kai Province;

Under the Mannen Bridge at Fukugawa;

Hodogaya on the Tōkaidō;

The Waterwheel at Onden;

South Wind, Clear Sky (Red Fuji);

Enoshima in Sagami Province, all wood block prints by Katsushika Hokusai, ca. 1830-32 (Images from The Met).