Artwork
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 東都駿台|Surugadai in Edo (Tōto Sundai), 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. Executed with ink and color on paper, the image depicts a tranquil Edo street scene framed by a distant, pale‑skyed Mount Fuji. The work is part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents a modest urban lane lined with pedestrians, some bearing umbrellas or parcels, and a modest building with a sloping roof on the right. A leafless tree crowns a low hill behind the figures, while fields of muted yellow and green spread outward. The distant silhouette of Fuji anchors the scene, linking everyday life to the iconic mountain.
Technique & Style
Hokusai employs fine line work and subtle cross‑hatching to model depth, especially in the elongated shadows cast by the walkers. The use of layered color washes creates atmospheric perspective, allowing the mountain to recede under a soft sky. Details such as the texture of the roof tiles and the foliage of the barren tree demonstrate the artist’s meticulous approach to urban genre scenes.
History & Provenance
Printed as one of the thirty‑six perspectives on Fuji, the image was produced in the late Edo period, a time when woodblock publishing flourished. After circulating in Japan, the print entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains accessible for study and public viewing.
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 駿州片倉茶園の不二|Fuji from the Katakura Tea Fields in Suruga (Sunshū Katakura chaen no Fuji), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)
冨嶽三十六景 下目黒|Lower Meguro (Shimo Meguro), 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 礫川雪の旦|Morning after the Snow at Koishikawa in Edo (Koishikawa yuki no ashita), 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 甲州犬目峠|The Inume Pass in Kai Province (Kōshū Inume tōge), 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 東海道保土ケ谷|Hodogaya on the Tōkaidō (Tōkaidō Hodogaya), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)