The Floating World

Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)

Yoshida on the Tōkaidō

東海道吉田 · Tōkaidō Yoshida

Katsushika Hokusai · c. 1830–32

What it is

Travellers rest in a teahouse at Yoshida on the Tōkaidō, women serve them, and Fuji is seen through an opening in the wall.

Why it matters

The teahouse sign advertises its view of Fuji, and Hokusai turns that into a small joke about the whole series: the mountain as something offered to travellers.

What to notice

The figures are framed inside the building, and the mountain is framed inside them.

The view was always part of the price of the tea.

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 · JP2974

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.