The Floating World

Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)

Tsukudajima in Musashi Province

武陽佃島 · Buyō Tsukudajima

Katsushika Hokusai · c. 1830–32

What it is

Boats gather around the small island of Tsukuda off Edo, and Fuji stands far off on the horizon.

Why it matters

Hokusai keeps the island and its boats low and small, and gives most of the sheet to water and sky.

What to notice

The island sits low in the middle of the sheet, and the bay around it is broad and empty.

The city’s working water, with the mountain looking on.

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 · JP23

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.