The pontoon bridge at Sano in the province of Kozuka 1834

This is a woodblock print of "The pontoon bridge at Sano in the province of Kozuka" by Katsushika Hokusai. The scene is dominated by a sinuous bridge stretching across a body of water, the composition is designed to guide the viewer's eye from the lower left to the upper right, where soft creams and browns form snow-covered hills. Note how the dark blues of the water contrast with the pale bridge and the landscape. The horizon line is set high, flattening the perspective and emphasizing surface patterns. The artist's use of color and line simplifies natural forms into near-abstract shapes; the bridge is reduced to a curving geometric form, and the figures become simplified shapes against the wintery backdrop. The print challenges traditional landscape art by playing with perspective, scale and proportion.