Fuji over a Waterfall (Takigoshi no Fuji): Detatched page from One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku hyakkei) Vol. 3 c. 1835 - 1847

Curator: Here we have Katsushika Hokusai's "Fuji over a Waterfall," a detached page originating from his "One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji, Vol. 3." Editor: My first impression is the sheer weight of everyday life depicted against the sublime backdrop of nature. There's a tension here. Curator: Indeed. The waterfall acts almost as a curtain, partially revealing Fuji, a symbol of permanence. The human figures represent the transient nature of existence. Note how their path seems arduous. Editor: Right, this isn't just a landscape; it's a commentary on labor, perhaps even class. The figures are burdened, while Fuji remains untouched by their struggles. The birds overhead feel like a flock of aspirations or perhaps anxieties. Curator: Hokusai masterfully uses the waterfall as a dividing line, separating the mundane from the sacred, but always in relation to one another. He invites us to contemplate the divine through the lens of the everyday. Editor: Absolutely. And considering the context of its creation, amidst social and economic shifts in Japan, it’s hard not to read this image as a reflection on the changing relationship between people, land, and power. I find it strangely moving. Curator: Yes, Hokusai manages to capture both the timeless and the timely within this single frame. Editor: It's a stark reminder of the enduring power dynamics present even in the most beautiful landscapes. Thank you for pointing that out.