富岳百景|Mount Fuji of the Mists (Vol. 1); Mount Fuji of the Ascending Dragon (Vol. 2)

Art Historical Context

Katsushika Hokus, the legendary Japanese artist renowned for his ukiyo-e woodblock, created *Mount Fuji of the Mists (Vol. 1) and *Mount of the Ascending Dragon (Vol. 2) in 1834–35 during Japan's Edo period (1615–1868). Part of his ambitious *One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji* series, these illustrated books feature 100 pages of vibrant ink and color woodblock prints across the two volumes, each measuring a compact 9 x 6¼ inches. Hokusai captures the sacred volcano from daring perspectives—amid mists, dragons, men, trees, and everyday scenes—showcasing his mastery of composition and nature's grandeur. Woodblock printing, a hallmark of ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world"), allowed Hokusai to layer colors with precision using multiple carved cherry wood blocks, a labor-intensive technique that made his works affordable and widely popular. Produced late in his career, these volumes reflect Hokusai's innovative experimentation with Western-style perspective and bold, flattened forms, influencing global artists like Van Gogh and Debussy. Culturally, Mount Fuji symbolized spiritual power and endurance in Japan, and Hokusai's depictions elevated it to an icon of beauty and transience. Now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Art Department (gift of Howard Mansfield, 1936), these prints invite visitors to ponder the harmony of human life against nature's majesty.

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...