百人一首 うはかゑとき 権中納言匡房|Poem by Gon-chūnagon Masafusa (Ōe no Masafusa), from the series One Hundred Poems Explained by the Nurse (Hyakunin isshu uba ga etoki)

Executed in traditional ukiyo‑e woodblock technique, the work employs flat areas of color and precise line work. Hokusai’s use of muted blues for sky and water contrasts with vivid pinks of the blossoms, while the figures are rendered with clean, economical strokes that emphasize form over detail.

Created in the early nineteenth century, the print belongs to Hokusai’s series that paired visual interpretations with the famous Hyakunin Isshu poems. It entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is conserved as part of the museum’s Japanese prints holdings.

The series reflects a broader Edo‑period interest in literary culture, where poetry and visual art were often combined for educational and aesthetic purposes. Hokusai’s illustrations served both as artistic commentary and as a means of making the classic verses accessible to a wider audience.

Hokusai’s integration of literary content with his distinctive visual style contributed to the enduring popularity of illustrated poetry books in Japan. The print continues to be studied for its synthesis of text and image, illustrating the collaborative spirit of Edo‑period artistic production.