The Floating World

Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)

Senju in Musashi Province

武州千住 · Bushū Senju

Katsushika Hokusai · c. 1830–32

What it is

A man leads a horse along the bank at Senju while others fish by a sluice gate, and Fuji is framed in the gate’s opening.

Why it matters

The sluice gate is one of the series’ found frames, a piece of river work that becomes a window.

What to notice

The gate’s dark timbers make a rectangle around the distant mountain.

A piece of river machinery becomes the best seat for the view.

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 · JP2988

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.