Fuji in the Tōtomi Mountains (Tōtomi sanchÅ« no Fuji): Half of detatched page from One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku hyakkei) Vol. 2 Possibly 1835 - 1836

Editor: Here we have Hokusai's "Fuji in the Tōtomi Mountains" from his "One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji." It's a print, quite small actually. I'm struck by the image of the woodcutter. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: Notice the woodcutter, seemingly suspended by ropes, juxtaposed against the iconic Mount Fuji. Consider the labor involved in producing woodblocks and its role in shaping cultural identity and consumption. What does the woodcutter's presence suggest about humanity's relationship with nature and industry? Editor: So, it's less about a pretty landscape and more about how we interact with the landscape to create? Curator: Precisely. Hokusai's work prompts us to contemplate the material processes and social structures underpinning artistic creation and our consumption of resources. Editor: I never thought of it that way. It certainly puts a different spin on Hokusai's iconic mountain!