En no Gyōja Opens Mount Fuji (En no Ubasoku Fugaku sōsō): Detached page from One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku hyakkei) Vol. 1 Possibly 1834 - 1835

Curator: This arresting print by Hokusai is titled En no Gyōja Opens Mount Fuji, a detached page from his famed One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji. The dynamic composition immediately strikes me. There's such dramatic energy in the swirling lines. Editor: The piece has a mythic quality, doesn't it? Look at En no Gyōja, a figure of Shugendō, almost one with the landscape as he seems to conjure the mountain's opening. His power is palpable. Curator: The representation of Mount Fuji is so interesting here, because of course, as we know, Hokusai was profoundly interested in that mountain's cultural and societal significance. I am always moved by his interest in the importance of place. This one is particularly fascinating because this shows the opening, the accessibility and the welcoming of this very important place. Editor: I agree; in this woodblock print, Hokusai uses the figure of En no Gyōja to link spiritual power to the mountain's iconic status. A fascinating intersection of faith and place. Curator: It truly offers a glimpse into how art can shape and reflect a nation's identity, and the individual’s place in it. Editor: It certainly gives you a great deal to ponder.