Why was Mount Fuji important to Hokusai?

Why was Mount Fuji important to Hokusai?

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.

Why did Hokusai choose Mount Fuji?

Hokusai created the monumental Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji both as a response to a domestic travel boom in Japan and as part of a personal obsession with Mount Fuji. It was this series, specifically The Great Wave off Kanagawa and Fine Wind, Clear Morning, that secured his fame both in Japan and overseas.

What was Hokusai known for?

During his lifetime, Hokusai was known as the leading expert on Chinese painting in Japan. He is best-known for the woodblock print series 36 Views of Mount Fuji, which includes the iconic image, The Great Wave off Kanagawa.

How old was Hokusai when he made The Great Wave?

around seventy years old
His Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, from which The Great Wave comes, was produced from c. 1830 when Hokusai was around seventy years old. The series is considered his masterpiece.

How often did Mount Fuji erupt?

The volcano is considered active and has erupted more than 15 times since 781. However, Mount Fuji has been dormant since an eruption in 1707, and its last signs of volcanic activity occurred in the 1960s.

Where did Hokusai paint great wave?

The image depicts an enormous wave threatening three boats off the coast in the Sagami Bay (Kanagawa Prefecture) while Mount Fuji rises in the background….

The Great Wave off Kanagawa
Print at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (JP1847)
Artist Katsushika Hokusai
Year 1831
Type color woodblock

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