Katsushika Hokusai’s Ukiyo-e I will explain Rain Storm beneath the Peak in Sagami Province in Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji.
When one thinks of Mt. Fuji in ukiyo-e prints, the image that immediately comes to mind is this picture, which is famously known as Red Mt. Fuji.
Together with ‘The Great Wave off Kanagawa’ and ‘Shiraume Yamashita’, it is called the three major roles.
In the ukiyo-e “Hokusai Manga 5-hen” published in 1816, there is an untitled work with Mt. Fuji as its theme.
It has not been concluded whether this drawing was drawn from the Kai Province side or the Suruga Province side.
The composition of the ukiyo-e print, along with “Yamashita Shiraume”, is a work that depicts Mt. Fuji from the front, with a sea of trees at the bottom of the screen, sardine clouds in the sky, and a snowy valley at the summit of Mt. Fuji.
“Gaifu” means the soft south wind that blows in summer.
There is no information indicating morning in the title or description. If the morning sun makes it red, the snow should also be printed red.
From these points, the brown surface of Mt.Fuji was reddened to emphasize its bright illumination under the clear sky.
There is a view that as the phenomenon of “red Fuji” became known, the name “red Fuji” spread.
There are only 3 woodblocks for “Fine Wind, Clear Weather”: 1 main block for printing the outline and 2 colored boards for printing the color part.
The wild cherry tree used for the woodblocks was expensive at the time, so both sides of the colored plates other than the main plate are used without waste.
This work will be printed using four woodblocks.
Usually, ukiyo-e prints are printed about 5 times and printed 10 to 20 times.
This ukiyo-e is from around 1830 to 1832. Hokusai is around 72 years old.
