Hokusai and the Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji - In Japan, Mt. Fuji is a sacred place and a symbol of the country itself. Rising majestically near the center of Japan, Fuji dominates the landscape and the Japanese national identity. At the age of sixty-nine, the great Hokusai began what would become the most famous landscape print series of ukiyo-e, his incredible Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji.

Originally intended to comprise thirty-six prints, the publisher added an additional ten images, bringing the series total to forty-six woodblocks. Originally published around 1830, Hokusai's bold compositions capture the strength, beauty, and symbolism of Mt. Fuji in rain and snow, at sunrise and dusk, and from a variety of vantage points. The series includes some of Hokusai's greatest masterpieces. These fantastic images portray the strength and majesty of nature, leading the viewer to contemplate man's place in relation to the natural world. A truly magnificent series, Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji justly remains Hokusai's most famous and highly regarded work.

Surugadai in Edo - In Hokusai's time, Surugadai was famous for its mansions of the ruling class. The area offered incredible views of Mt. Fuji, along with close proximity to the shogun. The tiled roof of a daimyo's mansion frames the view at lower right, while travelers and pedestrians walk along the busy road. The snow-covered peak of Mt. Fuji rises in the distance beyond the rooftops of the city. An attractive design, nicely detailed.

Takamizawa Thirty-six Fuji Reprints - Established in Tokyo in 1911, the venerable Takamizawa Publisher was known as one of the finest reprint publishers of the 20th century, and produced some of the highest quality ukiyo-e woodblock reprints of all time. This lovely group of reprints of Hokusai's outstanding "The Thirty-Six Views of Mt. Fuji" series features attractive color and beautiful bokashi shading, a deluxe printing technique used to create gradations of color.

Each print comes loose in the original windowed viewing folder as issued by the publisher, and includes a decsription in both English and Japanese mounted to the inside of the front cover (see examples below). All prints bear the "Takamizawa" seal on the reverse attesting to the Takamizawa publication of these prints. Don't miss this terrific opportunity to acquire a fine Takamizawa reprint of Hokusai's classic ukiyo-e images. 

Artist - Hokusai (1760 - 1849)

Image Size - 10" x 15" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with excellent color and detail as shown. Please see photos for details. No issues to report.