Fuji at Torigoe 

Katsushika Hokusai created this woodblock print, Fuji at Torigoe, in Japan sometime in the first half of the 19th century. In it, we see figures on a rooftop with a large armillary sphere against the backdrop of the iconic Mount Fuji. This was a period of relative peace and economic growth under the Tokugawa shogunate, and it allowed for the rise of a merchant class who became consumers of art and culture. Woodblock prints were a popular art form, affordable and accessible to a broad audience. Hokusai was a leading figure in the ukiyo-e movement, which celebrated everyday life and the beauty of the natural world. This print encapsulates a sense of curiosity and a desire to understand the world through science and art. Japan was gradually opening to Western knowledge, and astronomy was of particular interest. To understand Hokusai’s work more fully, we can look to the social and economic conditions of the time, as well as the artistic traditions and innovations that shaped his vision. The meaning of the art will always be contingent on its context.