Artwork
冨嶽三十六景 東海道品川御殿山の不二|Fuji from Gotenyama at Shinagawa on the Tōkaidō (Tōkaidō Shinagawa Gotenyama no Fuji), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)
冨嶽三十六景 東海道品川御殿山の不二|Fuji from Gotenyama at Shinagawa on the Tōkaidō (Tōkaidō Shinagawa Gotenyama no Fuji), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) is an ink print by the Japonisme artist Katsushika Hokusai. It dates from 1831 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1831, this woodblock print by Katsushika Hokusai forms part of his celebrated series Thirty‑six Views of Mount Fuji. The image portrays a stretch of the Tōkaidō road near Shinagawa, with the iconic silhouette of Mount Fuji rising in the distance. Executed in ink and color on paper, the work is presently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Subject & Meaning
The composition captures a bustling riverside scene where travelers, merchants, and locals gather beneath trees and low‑rise structures. A small hill rises in the foreground, providing a platform for a few figures who gaze toward the distant mountain, emphasizing Fuji’s role as a spiritual and geographic landmark along the historic Tōkaidō route.
Technique & Style
Hokusai employs bold, decisive outlines to define architecture and foliage, while the limited palette of muted blues and greens creates atmospheric depth. Simple geometric forms suggest perspective, and the subtle gradations of color convey distance, allowing the towering peak to emerge as a focal point without overt detail.
History & Provenance
The print was produced during the late Edo period, a time when travel guides and landscape series were popular among urban audiences. After its creation, it entered the market for ukiyo‑e prints and eventually was acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains on view as part of the museum’s Japanese prints collection.
Context
Mounted within the Thirty‑six Views series, this image reflects Hokuska’s systematic exploration of Mount Fuji from varied locations and seasons. By situating the mountain amid everyday activity on the Tōkaidō, the work illustrates the interplay between Japan’s natural iconography and the expanding commercial life of early‑nineteenth‑century Edo.
Artist & collection
Artist
Katsushika Hokusai spent his life in Edo, now Tokyo, where he drew and carved prints for a living.
冨嶽三十六景 東海道品川御殿山の不二|Fuji from Gotenyama on the Tōkaidō at Shinagawa (Tōkaidō Shinagawa Gotenyama no Fuji), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)
冨嶽三十六景 東海道品川御殿山の不二|Fuji from Gotenyama at Shinagawa on the Tōkaidō (Tōkaidō Shinagawa Gotenyama no Fuji), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)
冨嶽三十六景 東都駿台|Surugadai in Edo (Tōto Sundai), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)
冨嶽三十六景 東海道保土ケ谷|Hodogaya on the Tōkaidō (Tōkaidō Hodogaya), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)
冨嶽三十六景 登戸浦|Noboto Bay (Noboto no ura), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)
冨嶽三十六景 身延川裏不二|View from the Other Side of Fuji from the Minobu River (Minobugawa ura Fuji), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)
冨嶽三十六景 東海道保土ケ谷|Hodogaya on the Tōkaidō (Tōkaidō Hodogaya), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)