Why Hokusai’s legendary mountain prints are actually a collection of forty-six distinct views
In short: Hokusai’s iconic series, Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, is a masterpiece of Japanese ukiyo-e art that redefined landscape printing. Produced when the artist was in his seventies, the set famously features the Great Wave off Kanagawa. Despite its name, the collection actually contains forty-six prints, not thirty-six, capturing the mountain's enduring cultural significance.
Created between approximately 1830 and 1832, the series was the work of Hokusai, an artist then at the height of his career. While the title suggests a fixed count, the initial success of the project prompted the publisher, Nishimura Yohachi, to authorize ten additional prints. This expansion resulted in a total of forty-six images, each depicting Mount Fuji from diverse vantage points, seasons, and weather conditions. The project was a technical triumph, utilizing a complex process where each color required a separate woodblock. Hokusai famously utilized Prussian blue, a pigment recently introduced to Japan, which became a defining aesthetic feature of the early prints.
Mount Fuji held deep religious and cultural importance for Hokusai, who was influenced by traditions identifying the peak as a source of immortality. This reverence was shared by many in Japan, where the mountain served as a major pilgrimage destination. Hokusai’s ability to capture the mountain’s majesty through both bold draftsmanship and sensitive color usage cemented his reputation. His work became so influential that it helped spark the Japonisme movement in late 19th-century France, inspiring artists like Henri Rivière to create their own series, such as the Thirty-six views of the Tour Eiffel.
Today, complete sets of these prints are exceptionally rare, with fewer than ten known to exist in public collections. Their value has soared, as evidenced by a complete set that sold at Christie's in 2024 for $3.559 million. These prints remain a global touchstone for Japanese art, frequently appearing in major international exhibitions. Whether through the lens of history or the market, the series remains a testament to Hokusai’s creative ingenuity and his lifelong obsession with the sacred peak.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji
- Also: Art Institute of Chicago — Under the Wave off Kanagawa (Kanagawa oki nami ura), also known as The Great Wave, from the series "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)" · CC0 (data); description CC BY 4.0
- Also: Shower Below the Summit (Sanka hakuu), from the series "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjurokkei)"
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