冨嶽三十六景　東海道江尻田子の浦略図|Tago Bay near Ejiri on the Tōkaidō (Tōkaidō Ejiri Tago no ura ryaku zu), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)

Art Historical Context

Katsushika Hokusai's *Tago Bay near Ejiri the Tōkaidō*, from his groundbreaking series *Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji* (. 1830–32), captures the majestic mountain from a coastal vantage point along Japan's historic Tōkaidō road. Created during the Edo period (5–1868), this woodblock print exemplifies uyo-e, the "pictures of the floating world" that celebrated everyday beauty and nature. Hokusai, at over 70 years old, revolutionized landscape art by making Mount Fuji the enduring star across 46 views (despite the title), blending human activity with sublime scenery. In this vibrant ink and color on paper scene (9 7/8 x 14 5/8 in.), waves crash near boats and figures at Tago Bay, with trees framing the distant, snow-capped Fuji under a vast sky. Hokusai's masterful use of Prussian blue pigment—imported and innovative for Japanese prints—creates dramatic depth and atmospheric perspective, drawing viewers into the dynamic interplay of sea, land, and peak. The horizontal *ōban* format invites intimate contemplation. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Art collection (The Howard Mansfield Collection, 1936), this print highlights Edo Japan's print culture boom, where affordable woodblocks democratized art. Its bold composition influenced global artists like the Impressionists, cementing Hokusai's legacy as a visionary who elevated the ordinary to the eternal.

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...