Artwork

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) is an ink print by the Japonisme artist Katsushika Hokusai. It dates from 1832 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

The Inume Pass in Kai Province is a woodblock print from Katsushika Hokusai's series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, dating to circa 1832. The work is part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection.

Subject & Meaning

The print depicts a serene landscape of a winding road through green hills, with Mount Fuji prominently featured in the background as a sharp, snow-capped silhouette. The scene includes a cart pulled by horses and accompanied by small figures, conveying everyday life in the presence of the majestic mountain.

Technique & Style

Hokusai employed flat colors and clean lines to achieve visual clarity.

Hokusai employed flat colors and clean lines to achieve visual clarity. The contrast between the detailed rendering of the road and trees (in deep greens and browns) and the simple, geometric form of Fuji illustrates his compositional balance. The use of cross-hatching techniques would have been utilized to create shading and depth, particularly in building the volume of the mountain and the textures of the landscape.

History & Provenance

Created around 1832, this print is one of thirty-six in the Fugaku sanjūrokkei series. It is currently housed at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, though specific details of its provenance before acquisition are not provided here.

Context

Part of a larger series celebrating Mount Fuji, this work reflects 19th-century Japanese ukiyo-e's fascination with the mountain as a cultural and natural icon. The scene blends the mundane with the sublime, characteristic of Hokusai's approach to capturing Japanese life and landscapes.

Legacy

As part of Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, The Inume Pass in Kai Province contributes to the series' enduring influence on Japanese art and its global impact on 19th-century Western artists, particularly in the development of Impressionism and beyond.