Fuji under a Sluice (Kakehi no Fuji): Half of detatched page from One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku hyakkei) Vol. 2 Possibly 1835 - 1836

Curator: This is Hokusai's "Fuji under a Sluice," part of his "One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji." It's fascinating how he positions the iconic mountain within everyday labor. Editor: Yes, it's much more than a landscape, isn't it? All these people working really grounds it. What strikes you most about it? Curator: I see a commentary on the relationship between the human and natural worlds, and how we extract resources. Consider the sluice—is it a symbol of progress or exploitation? The figures seem burdened, part of a system. Editor: That's a powerful reading. I hadn't considered the exploitation aspect so directly. Curator: Think about whose labor is absent, too. Who built the sluice? What social strata are we not seeing represented here? Editor: That's a great point. It makes me reconsider the whole scene in terms of power dynamics. Thank you. Curator: Understanding art is an evolving process. I'm glad I could share a new perspective on this work.