冨嶽三十六景　相州江の島|Enoshima in Sagami Province (Sōshū Enoshima), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)

Art Historical Context

Katsushika Hokus's *Enoshima in Sagami Province* is a captivating woodblock print from his renowned series *Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji* (ugaku sanjūrokkei), created around 1830–32 during Japan's Edo period (1615–1868). This innovative series, comprising 46 prints in total, revolutionized landscape art by depicting Mount Fuji from diverse vantage points across Japan, emphasizing the mountain's spiritual and cultural majesty. Here, Hokusai captures the coastal islet of Enoshima in Sagami Province, with fishing boats dotting the waves, shrine buildings perched on cliffs, and the iconic Fuji looming in the distance under a dynamic sky. Printed with ink and color on paper in the ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world") style, this work exemplifies Hokusai's mastery of woodblock techniques. Collaborating with skilled carvers and printers, he achieved vibrant blues, subtle gradients (via bokashi shading), and bold compositions that convey movement and atmospheric depth. At 9 7/8 x 14 3/4 inches, these affordable prints brought grand landscapes to everyday viewers, from merchants to samurai, democratizing art in urban Edo (modern Tokyo). Hokusai, who lived to 90 and produced over 30,000 works, drew from nature's ever-changing moods, blending realism with poetic exaggeration. This print not only celebrates Japan's natural beauty and maritime life but also influenced Western artists like Monet and Van Gogh, bridging Eastern and global traditions. A gem from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Art collection, it invites you to ponder Fuji's enduring presence in the Japanese imagination.

About the Artist

Katsushika Hokusai · 1760–1849

Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) stands as one of history's most influential artists, a Japanese master who revolutionized the ukiyo-e woodblock print tradition and profoundly shaped Western art. Born in the Katsushika district of Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to an artisan family, Hokusai lived through nearly nine decades of extraordinary creative evolution, adopting over thirty different artistic names t...