Mishima bergpas in de provincie Kai 1829 - 1833

"Mishima bergpas in de provincie Kai" was created by Katsushika Hokusai, a Japanese artist, who lived through the Edo period when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate, a time of relative peace and prosperity but also strict social order. This woodblock print captures a scene of everyday life, infused with a sense of the spiritual and sublime. We see travelers, perhaps merchants or pilgrims, navigating a mountain path, their figures dwarfed by the landscape. Dominating the scene is a towering tree, its trunk filling the frame, while in the distance, Mount Fuji rises majestically, wreathed in clouds. Hokusai, who once said, "From around the age of six, I had the habit of sketching from life," masterfully blends the mundane and the monumental. While the print offers a picturesque view, it also speaks to the relationship between humanity and nature. The travelers seem to seek protection under the tree’s canopy, perhaps a symbolic gesture of seeking refuge. The choice of a landscape reflects a growing interest in natural themes, but it also subtly reinforces a sense of national identity during a time of internal stability and controlled contact with the outside world. The emotional resonance is palpable; the viewer is invited to contemplate their place in the world.