Artwork
諸國瀧廻リ 下野黒髪山 きりふりの滝|Kirifuri Waterfall at Kurokami Mountain in Shimotsuke (Shimotsuke Kurokamiyama Kirifuri no taki), from the series A Tour of Waterfalls in Various Provinces (Shokoku taki meguri)
諸國瀧廻リ 下野黒髪山 きりふりの滝|Kirifuri Waterfall at Kurokami Mountain in Shimotsuke (Shimotsuke Kurokamiyama Kirifuri no taki), from the series A Tour of Waterfalls in Various Provinces (Shokoku taki meguri) 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.
- Accession no.
- JP2924
- Credit line
- Henry L. Phillips Collection, Bequest of Henry L. Phillips, 1939
About this work
Overview
Created around 1832, this woodblock print by Katsushika Hokusai forms part of his series documenting waterfalls across Japan. It portrays the Kirifuri Waterfall on Kurokami Mountain in the former Shimotsuke Province, rendered in ink and color on paper and presently in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Subject & Meaning
The composition captures the cascade as it tumbles over rugged rock, its spray rendered in vivid blues and whites. At the base, two diminutive figures gaze upward, emphasizing the waterfall’s scale and the human response to natural power.
Technique & Style
Hokusai employs bold, saturated hues, bright blues for water, greens and reds for foliage, to convey motion and vitality. Fine line work delineates the texture of rocks and vegetation, while the thick, wavy strokes of spray illustrate the kinetic energy of the fall.
History & Provenance
The print belongs to the "Shokoku taki meguri" (A Tour of Waterfalls in Various Provinces) series, produced during Hokusai’s later period. It entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection through acquisition in the early twentieth century, where it remains on view.
Context
Waterfalls were a popular motif in Edo‑period landscape art, symbolizing both the sublime and the transitory. Hokusai’s series aligns with contemporary travel literature, offering viewers a visual itinerary of Japan’s scenic sites.
Artist & collection
Artist
Katsushika Hokusai spent his life in Edo, now Tokyo, where he drew and carved prints for a living.
諸國瀧廻リ 下野黒髪山 きりふりの滝|Kirifuri Waterfall at Kurokami Mountain in Shimotsuke (Shimotsuke Kurokamiyama Kirifuri no taki), from the series A Tour of Waterfalls in Various Provinces (Shokoku taki meguri)
諸國瀧廻リ 相州大山ろうべんの瀧|Rōben Waterfall at Ōyama in Sagami Province (Sōshū Ōyama Rōben no taki), from the series A Tour of Waterfalls in Various Provinces (Shokoku taki meguri)
諸國瀧廻リ 和州吉野義経馬洗滝|The Waterfall Where Yoshitsune Washed His Horse at Yoshino in Yamato Province (Washū Yoshino Yoshitsune uma arai no taki), from the series A Tour of Waterfalls in Various Provinces (Shokoku taki meguri)
Kirifuri Fall in Kurokami Mountain, Shimotsuke Province
諸國瀧廻リ 木曾海道小野ノ瀑布|Ono Waterfall on the Kisokaidō (Kisokaidō Ono no bakufu), from the series A Tour of Waterfalls in Various Provinces (Shokoku taki meguri)
諸國瀧廻リ 美濃ノ国養老の滝|Yōrō Waterfall in Mino Province (Mino no Yōrō no taki), from the series A Tour of Waterfalls in Various Provinces (Shokoku taki meguri)
諸國瀧廻リ 木曾海道小野ノ瀑布|Ono Waterfall on the Kisokaidō (Kisokaidō Ono no bakufu), from the series A Tour of Waterfalls in Various Provinces (Shokoku taki meguri)
諸國瀧廻リ 木曽路ノ奥 阿彌陀ヶ瀧|The Amida Falls in the Far Reaches of the Kisokaidō Road (Kisoji no oku Amida-ga-taki), from the series A Tour of Waterfalls in Various Provinces (Shokoku taki meguri)
葛飾北斎画 「諸國瀧廻リ 和州吉野義経馬洗滝」|“The Waterfall Where Yoshitsune Washed His Horse at Yoshino in Yamato Province,” from the series A Tour of Waterfalls in Various Provinces
諸國瀧廻リ 木曽路ノ奥 阿彌陀ヶ瀧|The Amida Falls in the Far Reaches of the Kisokaidō Road (Kisoji no oku Amida-ga-taki), from the series A Tour of Waterfalls in Various Provinces (Shokoku taki meguri)