One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku hyakkei), Volumes 1 & 2 Possibly 1834 - 1835

Editor: So, here we have Hokusai’s "One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji," these two volumes, anyway. I’m struck by the simple binding, this salmon-colored cover with the vertical title cartouche. It feels so intimate, like a cherished book of secrets. What do you make of it? Curator: Secrets indeed! It's funny you say that, because, in a way, Hokusai *is* revealing secrets. He is inviting us to see Fuji, a national symbol, through his intensely personal lens, one hundred times over. It makes me wonder, what does it mean to truly *see* something? Editor: That's a great point. I guess it challenges the idea of a single, definitive view, doesn't it? Curator: Exactly! It’s like he’s saying, "Here's a mountain, but here are a hundred emotions, a hundred perspectives, all nestled in these humble covers." Editor: I never thought of it that way. It’s more than just landscapes; it’s a journey. Curator: Absolutely. And isn't it a beautiful thought that such profound exploration can be contained within something so small and unassuming?