Fuji Seen from the Dyers' Quarter (Kon'ya-chō no Fuji): Detatched Page from One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku hyakkei) Vol. 2 Possibly 1835 - 1836

Editor: This is Hokusai's "Fuji Seen from the Dyers' Quarter," from his "One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji." The dyed cloth hanging to dry really dominates the composition, almost obscuring the mountain. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a keen interest in the labor of textile production. Hokusai isn't just showing us a pretty landscape; he's highlighting the means of production, the very fabrics that would have been traded and consumed. It asks, what is the relationship between the mountain and the cloth? Editor: So, Mount Fuji isn't the main subject here? Curator: Not necessarily. Hokusai uses the recognizable image of Fuji to give context to these everyday materials. It prompts us to consider the social and economic context of art, and how labor is visualized. Editor: That's a different way of thinking about it. I was so focused on the mountain! Curator: Right, it's about appreciating the materials, the process, and the cultural environment that shapes our view.