The Floating World

Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)

Nakahara in Sagami Province

相州仲原 · Sōshū Nakahara

Katsushika Hokusai · c. 1830–32

What it is

Travellers cross a simple plank bridge over a stream at Nakahara, carrying their loads past the fields, with Fuji above.

Why it matters

One of the ten designs added after the first thirty-six, it sets the mountain behind the plainest country business.

What to notice

The plank bridge is a single thin line, and every figure on it is caught mid-step.

Ordinary travel is the subject; the mountain only keeps it company.

The record

Artist
Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾北斎 (1760–1849)
Series
Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)
Date
c. 1830–32
Publisher
Nishimuraya Yohachi (Eijudō)
Medium
woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Source
The Metropolitan Museum of Art · JP1325

Impression note. The series sold well and was printed in large numbers. The first sheets lean on the newly imported Prussian blue, outlines included; later printings add colours and soften the key block. This is the largest clean open impression of the design the Met holds. Impression variance is real — printings differ in wiping and fading — and choosing the finest openly held impression is the curatorial act.

Public domain; faithfully reproduced.

Bring it home

Printed to order on EMA matte art paper, 200gsm.

From the same series

The road at your moment — Painted Earth’s ukiyo-e style pack.