Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji

File:Great Wave off Kanagawa2.jpg

The Great Wave off Kanagawa, the best known print in the series (20th century reprint). Mount Fuji is in the center distance.

is a series of landscape prints by the Japanese ukiyo-e artist Hokusai (1760–1849). The series depicts Mount Fuji from different locations and in various seasons and weather conditions. The immediate success of the publication led to another ten prints being added to the series.

The series was produced from Template:Circa to 1832, when Hokusai was in his seventies and at the height of his career, and published by Nishimura Yohachi. Among the prints are three of Hokusai's most famous: The Great Wave off Kanagawa, Fine Wind, Clear Morning, and Thunderstorm Beneath the Summit. The lesser-known Kajikazawa in Kai Province is also considered one of the series' best works. The Thirty-six Views has been described as the artist's "indisputable colour-print masterpiece".

History

Mount Fuji is a popular subject for Japanese art due to its cultural and religious significance. This belief can be traced to The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, where a goddess deposits the elixir of life on the peak. As the historian Henry Smith explains, "Thus from an early time, Mt. Fuji was seen as the source of the secret of immortality, a tradition that was at the heart of Hokusai's own obsession with the mountain."

Each image was made through a process whereby Hokusai's drawing on paper was glued to a woodblock to guide the carving. The original design is therefore lost in the process. The block was then covered with ink and applied to paper to create the image (see Woodblock printing in Japan for further details). The complexity of Hokusai's images includes the wide range of colors he used, which required the use of a separate block for each color appearing in the image.

The earliest prints in the series were made with largely blue tones (aizuri-e), including the key blocks which provide an image's outlines. Prussian blue pigment had not long before been introduced to Japan from Europe and Hokusai used it extensively, ensuring its popularity. Once the publisher, Nishimura, was sure of the series' success, prints were made with multiple colours (nishiki-e). Nishimura had planned to expand the series to more than a hundred prints, but publication stopped at forty-six.

The most famous single image from the series is widely known in English as The Great Wave off Kanagawa. It is Hokusai's most celebrated work and is often considered the most recognizable work of Japanese art in the world. Another iconic work from Thirty-six Views is Fine Wind, Clear Morning, also known as Red Fuji, which has been described as "one of the simplest and at the same time one of the most outstanding of all Japanese prints".

Influence

While Hokusai's Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji is the most famous ukiyo-e series to focus on Mount Fuji, there are several other works with the same subject, including Hiroshige's later series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji and Hokusai's subsequent book One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji (published 1834–1835).

In his 1896 book on Hokusai, French art critic Edmond de Goncourt wrote that despite its "rather crude colors", it was, "the album which inspires the landscapes of the impressionists of the present moment." The French artist Henri Rivière (1864–1951) published the set of color lithographs "Thirty-six views of the Tour Eiffel" in 1902, inspired by the seminal print set of Hokusai, one of the many influences of Japanese art on late 19th century and early 20th century French art (Japonism, known as "Japonisme" in French)

Prints

Original thirty-six

No.	Image	English title	Japanese title
1	File:Great Wave off Kanagawa2.jpg	The Great Wave off Kanagawa	Template:Category handler Kanagawa oki nami-ura
2	File:Red Fuji southern wind clear morning.jpg	Fine Wind, Clear Morning, also known as South Wind, Clear Sky or Red Fuji	Template:Category handler Gaifū kaisei
3	File:Katsushika Hokusai, tempesta sotto la vetta, dalla serie delle 36 vedute del monte fuji, 1831 ca.jpg	Thunderstorm Beneath the Summit	Template:Category handler Sanka hakuu
4	File:冨嶽三十六景 深川万年橋下-Under the Mannen Bridge at Fukagawa (Fukagawa Mannenbashi shita), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) MET DP141017.jpg	Under Template:Ill at Fukagawa	Template:Category handler Fukagawa Mannen-bashi shita
5	File: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) MET DP140999.jpg	Sundai, Edo	Template:Category handler Tōto Sundai
6	File:The coast of seven leages in Kamakura.jpg	The Template:Ill at Aoyama	Template:Category handler Aoyama Enza-no-matsu
7	File:冨嶽三十六景 武州千住-Senju in Musashi Province (Bushū Senju), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) MET DP141087.jpg	Template:III in Musashi Province	Template:Category handler Bushū Senju
8	File:冨嶽三十六景 武州玉川-Fuji—The Tama River, Musashi Province, from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) MET DP140975.jpg	Tama River in Musashi Province	Template:Category handler Bushū Tama-gawa
9	File: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) MET DP141045.jpg	Template:Ill Pass in Kai Province	Template:Category handler Kōshū Inume-tōge
10	File:冨嶽三十六景 尾州不二見原-Fujimigahara in Owari Province (Bishū Fujimigahara), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) MET DP141033.jpg	Template:III Field in Owari Province	Template:Category handler Bishū Fujimigahara
11	File:Asakusa Honganji temple in th Eastern capital.jpg	Template:Ill in Edo	Template:Category handler Tōto Asakusa Hongan-ji
12	File:冨嶽三十六景 武陽佃島-Tsukudajima in Musashi Province (Buyō Tsukudajima), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) MET DP141089.jpg	Template:Ill in Edo	Template:Category handler Buyō Tsukuda-jima
13	File:冨嶽三十六景 相州七里浜-Shichirigahama in Sagami Province (Sōshū Shichirigahama), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) MET DP140979.jpg	Shichirigahama in Sagami Province	Template:Category handler Soshū Shichirigahama
14	File:Umegawa in Sagami province.jpg	Umezawa in Sagami Province (near present-day Ninomiya, Kanagawa)	Template:Category handler Soshū Umezawa-no-hidari
15	File:Kajikazawa in Kai Province (Koshu Kajikazawa).jpg	Kajikazawa in Kai Province	Template:Category handler Kōshū Kajikazawa
16	File:冨嶽三十六景 甲州三島越-Mishima Pass in Kai Province (Kōshū Mishima goe), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) MET DP141043.jpg	Mishima Pass in Kai Province (near present-day Template:Ill)	Template:Category handler Kōshū Mishima-goe
17	File:Het Suwa meer in de provincie Shinano Shinshu Suwako (titel op object) 36 gezichten op de berg Fuji (serietitel) Fugaku sanjurokkei (serietitel op object), RP-P-1956-730.jpg	A View of Mount Fuji Across Lake Suwa (Lake Suwa in Shinano Province)	Template:Category handler Shinshū Suwa-ko
18	File:冨嶽三十六景 駿州江尻-Ejiri in Suruga Province (Sunshū Ejiri), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) MET DP140977.jpg	Ejiri in Suruga Province	Template:Category handler Sunshū Ejiri
19	File:冨嶽三十六景 遠江山中-In the Mountains of Tōtomi Province (Tōtomi sanchū), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) MET DP140988.jpg	In the Mountains of Tōtōmi Province	Template:Category handler Tōtōmi san-chū
20	File:冨嶽三十六景 常州牛掘-Ushibori in Hitachi Province (Jōshū Ushibori), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) MET DP141044.jpg	Ushibori in Hitachi Province (present-day Itako, Ibaraki)	Template:Category handler Jōshū Ushibori
21	File:A sketch of the Mitsui shop in Suruga street in Edo.jpg	A Sketch of the Mitsui Shop in Suruga in Edo (present-day Muromachi, Tokyo)	Template:Category handler Kōto Suruga-cho Mitsui-mise ryakuzu
22	File:Sunset across the Ryogoku bridge from the bank of the Sumida river at Onmagayashi.jpg	Sunset Across Ryōgoku Bridge from Ommayagashi (present-day Kuramae, Taitō, Tokyo)	Template:Category handler Ommayagashi yori Ryōgoku-bashi yūhi-mi
23	File:冨嶽三十六景 五百らかん寺さざゐどう-Sazai Hall at the Temple of the Five Hundred Arhats (Gohyaku Rakanji Sazaidō), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) MET DP141020.jpg	Template:Ill at Template:Ill	Template:Category handler Gohyakurakan-ji Sazaidō
24	File:Besneeuwde ochtend in Koishikawa-Rijksmuseum AK-MAK-1588.jpeg	Morning After a Snowfall at Koishikawa	Template:Category handler Koishikawa yuki no ashita
25	File:冨嶽三十六景 下目黒-Lower Meguro (Shimo Meguro), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) MET DP140998.jpg	Shimomeguro	Template:Category handler Shimomeguro
26	File:冨嶽三十六景 隠田の水車-The Waterwheel at Onden (Onden no suisha), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) MET DP141021.jpg	Watermill at Template:Ill	Template:Category handler Onden no suisha
27	File:Enoshima in the Sagami province.jpg	Enoshima in Sagami Province	Template:Category handler Soshū Enoshima
28	File: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) MET DP141037.jpg	Sketch of Template:Ill, Ejiri Along the Tōkaidō	Template:Category handler Tōkaidō Ejiri Tago-no-ura ryakuzu
29	File:冨嶽三十六景 東海道吉田-Yoshida on the Tōkaidō (Tōkaidō Yoshida), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) MET DP141007.jpg	Yoshida Along the Tōkaidō	Template:Category handler Tōkaidō Yoshida
30	File:冨嶽三十六景 上総の海路-At Sea off Kazusa (Kazusa no kairo), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) MET DP141056.jpg	Kazusa Province Sea Route	Template:Category handler Kazusa no kairo
31	File:冨嶽三十六景 江戸日本橋-Nihonbashi in Edo (Edo Nihonbashi), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) MET DP141003.jpg	Nihonbashi in Edo	Template:Category handler Edo Nihonbashi
32	File:冨嶽三十六景 隅田川関屋の里-Sekiya Village on the Sumida River (Sumidagawa Sekiya no sato), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) MET DP141023.jpg	Sekiya Village on the Sumida River (near present-day Keisei Sekiya Station)	Template:Category handler Sumida-gawa Sekiya-no-sato
33	File: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) MET DP141022.jpg	Noboto Bay (present-day Chūō-ku, Chiba)	Template:Category handler Noboto-ura
34	File:The lake of Hakone in the Segami province.jpg	Hakone Lake in Sagami Province	Template:Category handler Sōshū Hakone-kosui
35	File:冨嶽三十六景 甲州三坂水面-Reflection in Lake at Misaka in Kai Province (Kōshū Misaka suimen), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei MET DP141064.jpg	Reflection from Template:Ill in Kai Province (in Lake Kawaguchi)	Template:Category handler Kōshū Misaka suimen
36	File: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) MET DP141025.jpg	Hodogaya Along the Tōkaidō	Template:Category handler Tōkaidō Hodogaya

Additional 10

No.	Image	English title	Japanese title
1 (37)	File:Honjo Tatekawa, the timberyard at Honjo.jpg	Tate River from the Timberyard at Honjo (in present-day Sumida, Tokyo)	Template:Category handler Honjo Tatekawa
2 (38)	File:Nakahara in the Sagami province.jpg	A View of Mount Fuji from the Pleasure District at Template:III	Template:Category handler Senju Hana-machi yori chōbō no Fuji
3 (39)	File:Katsushika Hokusai, Goten-yama hill, Shinagawa on the Tōkaidō, ca. 1832.jpg	Template:Ill, Shinagawa Along the Tōkaidō	Template:Category handler Tōkaidō Shinagawa Goten'yama no Fuji
4 (40)	File:Soshu Nakahara.jpg	Nakahara in Sagami Province (in present-day Hiratsuka, Kanagawa)	Template:Category handler Sōshū Nakahara
5 (41)	File:Dawn at Isawa in the Kai province.jpg	Dawn at Isawa in Kai Province	Template:Category handler Kōshū Isawa no Akatsuki
6 (42)	File:The back of the Fuji from the Minobu river.jpg	The Back of Fuji from the Minobu River (possibly actually the Fuji River near present-day Minobu, Yamanashi)	Template:Category handler Minobu-gawa ura Fuji
7 (43)	File:Ono Shindon in the Suraga province.jpg	Ōno Field in Suruga Province	Template:Category handler Sunshū Ōno-shinden
8 (44)	File:The Tea plantation of Katakura in the Suruga province.jpg	Tea Plantation at Katakura in Suruga Province (near present-day Nakano, Fuji, Shizuoka)	Template:Category handler Sunshū Katakura-chaen no Fuji
9 (45)	File:The Fuji from Kanaya on the Tokaido.jpg	Kanaya Along the Tōkaidō	Template:Category handler Tōkaidō Kanaya no Fuji
10 (46)	File:Climbing on Mt. Fuji.jpg	Climbing on Fuji	Template:Category handler Shojin tozan

Exhibitions

A collection of Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji prints contained in the wellness spa of the Costa Concordia was lost during the collision of the ship on January 13, 2012.

All forty-six prints (the original thirty-six plus the ten additions) were featured in the exhibition Hokusai: 36 Views of Mount Fuji at the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the Smithsonian's museums of Asian art, in the spring of 2012.

The Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji prints were displayed at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston as part of a Hokusai exhibit April 5 through August 9, 2015.

The Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji prints were displayed at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia as part of a Hokusai exhibit 21 July through 22 October 2017, featuring two copies of The Great Wave off Kanagawa, one from the NGV and one from Japan Ukiyo-e Museum.

There are fewer than 10 complete sets of the Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, with prominent pieces held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MFA Boston, the British Museum, and the Bibliothèque nationale de France.

Markets

Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji is often sold in prominent auction houses focused on Japanese art, such as that of Christie's, Sotheby's, Bonhams, etc.

In 2002, a complete set sold at Sotheby's went for $1.47 million, through an anonymous buyer.

In 2013, another complete set was assembled by Dr. Jitendra V. Singh, a professor from Wharton School, who was inspired by Mt. Fuji from seeing the mountain on flights to Japan as well as his previous Hindu pilgrimages to Mount Everest and Mount Kailash. He purchased Fuji Seen From Kanaya on the Tokaido first, with the iconic pieces acquired from 2014 to 2016, the final print was acquired in January 2023.

On 19 March 2024, the Singh collection went onto auction at Christie's, which then sold for $3.559 million from an estimated bid of $3–5 million. The proceeds has gone into Singh's trust.

See also

• One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji
• Three Views of Japan
• Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji by Hiroshige

References

• Balcou, Amelie (2019). "Hokusai: Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji". Prestel. Template:ISBN.
• Marks, Andreas (2021). "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji". New York: Taschen. Template:ISBN.
• Nagata, Seiji (1999). Hokusai: Genius of the Japanese Ukiyo-e. Tokyo: Kodansha.
• Price, Jonathan Reeve (2020). "Viewing Hokusai Viewing Mount Fuji". Albuquerque, New Mexico: Communication Circle. Template:ISBN.
• Smith, Henry D. II (1988). Hokusai: One Hundred Views of Mt. Fuji. New York: George Braziller, Inc., Publishers. Template:ISBN.
• Thompson, Sarah (2019). "Hokusai's Landscapes: The Complete Series". Boston: MFA Publications. Template:ISBN.
• Zelazny, Roger (1985). "24 Views of Mount Fuji". In Cthulu 2000: Stories (1995). Sauk City, WI: Arkham House. Template:ISBN.

External links

• Hokusai's 36 Views of Mount Fuji
• A short biography of Hokusai including a section on the 36 Views of Mt. Fuji series.
• A brief description and woodblock reprint collection of Hokusai's 36 Views of Mt. Fuji series.