Snow at the top of the Tsukuba Mountain in Hitachi Province 1817

Katsushika Hokusai created this print, “Snow at the top of the Tsukuba Mountain in Hitachi Province,” using woodblock and ink. The composition is starkly divided: a seemingly continuous mountain form bisected by a hard, vertical line. This division emphasizes the artificiality of the image, drawing attention to its constructed nature rather than any pretense to naturalism. The mountain, rendered in soft whites and grays, occupies most of the frame. Patches of exposed rock punctuate the snow, creating a textural interplay. The stark contrast between the snow-covered peaks and the exposed rock hints at a deeper structure, an interplay of revelation and concealment, which can be seen as a commentary on the interplay between surface and depth. Consider how Hokusai uses the conventions of ukiyo-e to challenge fixed perspectives. The formal qualities of the print—the stark lines and contrasting textures—do not simply represent a mountain; they embody a meditation on form, perception, and representation. This work invites ongoing interpretation, challenging us to see beyond the surface and to question the very nature of seeing.