color woodcut, ink on paper, 19x26.5 cm, signed by the artist; on the reverse, a red stamp bearing the publisher’s mark and the inscription: “Under the supervision of the National Museum in Tokyo”; slight foxing spots
The central focal point of the image is the monumental, vertical trunk of a giant cedar. The tree literally cuts the composition in half, rivaling Mount Fuji itself for attention. In the Japanese Shintō tradition, such ancient trees were considered sacred. The majestic volcano emerges in the background on the right. The artist has surrounded its base and summit with billowing, stylized clouds resembling foam, which heightens the impression of the sacred mountain’s height and mysticism.
In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists, publishers, and the National Museum in Tokyo collaborated to reproduce the famous woodblock prints for interested collectors seeking rare designs. New blocks were created, and the prints were painstakingly produced by artisans using the same method as the 19th-century originals—one block for each color. These woodblock print reissues offer a chance to collect and enjoy the famous works of renowned Japanese artists.
Katsushika Hokusai, known primarily as Hokusai (born October 31, 1760, in Edo (now Tokyo), died May 10, 1849, there)—was one of the most outstanding and prolific Japanese painters and creators of colorful ukiyo-e woodblock prints. The name Katsushika Hokusai is known throughout the world, but it was a pseudonym the artist used instead of his real name, which was Kawamura Tetsuzo. He used many (at least thirty) pseudonyms when signing his works, including Shunrō, Sōri, Taito, and Manji. Although it is unclear why he changed his name, some scholars believe that he did so to test his talent and boost sales. From a very young age, Hokusai was passionate about drawing. He studied in the studio of Katsukawa Shunsho. He became famous as an exceptionally prolific artist, a master draftsman, landscape painter, illustrator, and caricaturist. In his paintings—which were usually teeming with figures—he depicted Japan as it was at the time. He painted, among other things, flowers, turtles, pheasants, roosters, the “One Hundred Poems,” bridges, and waterfalls. Encouraged by his students, he published 15 volumes of sketches and drawings titled *Manga* (1814). His works had a profound influence on European Impressionists such as Claude Monet and others. His most famous work is the ukiyo-e woodblock print series *Thirty Views of Mount Fuji*, created between 1826 and 1833 during the Taito era. In addition to paintings and drawings, he created illustrations for over 500 books, some of which he wrote himself.
Around 1830, he published the timeless woodblock masterpiece“Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji.” Initially, the series consisted of 36 prints, as the title suggests. However, it was so well received that 10 more woodblock prints were later added. These magnificent works depict the power and majesty of nature, while also illustrating humanity’s place in relation to the surrounding world. Hokusai died at the age of 90, which was considered exceptionally long-lived in his day. He remained artistically active until the very end. It is said that he created as many as 30,000 works during his lifetime. The influence of Hokusai’s works on world culture was so significant that his name was included on the “The LIFE Millennium” list —the 100 most important events and people of the past 1,000 years—published in 1988 by the American magazine Life.
