Shower Below the Summit (Sanka hakuu), from the series "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjurokkei)"

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) is considered one of the greatest artists in Japanese history, and one of the important masters of the Japanese woodblock print. Hokusai's most famous work is the series Fugaku sanju-rokkei (Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji), created between 1830 and 1832, when the artist was over seventy years of age. This brilliant series actually consists of forty-six views of the well-known mountain: the extra ten scenes were added by Hokusai to the initial thirty-six views. The ingenuity of artistic expression and the astonishing variety of vantage points from which Mount Fuji is viewed are a testament to Hokusai's creativity. Mount Fuji, known as "Fuji-san," is the highest mountain in Japan, with a height of 12,385 feet. Once an active volcano, its last great eruption was in 1707. Well before Hokusai's time, Mount Fuji had been worshipped as a sacred mountain, and in his day it was a destination for pilgrims from all over Japan.While known for his novel and dynamic compositions, Hokusai's greatest strength was undoubtedly his remarkable draftsmanship. As a colorist, he was capable of being both bold and sensitive, and much of his success depended on his

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