Fuji through Smoke (EnchÅ« no Fuji): Detached page from One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku hyakkei) Vol. 1 Possibly 1834 - 1835

Curator: This is "Fuji through Smoke," from Hokusai's "One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji." Note the intricate linework. Editor: It's somber. A stark landscape with laborers, but Mount Fuji is barely visible in the distance. Curator: Precisely. Hokusai subverts expectations. The foreground, meticulously rendered, dominates our view. Editor: What about those traveling workers? Their struggles juxtaposed with the distant mountain suggest a critique of societal stratification. Curator: Perhaps. Or, it reflects Hokusai's fascination with perspective. The interplay of near and far, the density of detail versus open space. Editor: I see it as class commentary. Fuji, the untouchable symbol, is contrasted against the tangible hardship of working-class life. Curator: An astute reading, though I lean toward its compositional mastery. Editor: Well, either way, it's a work that invites us to consider the many layers between experience and representation. Curator: Indeed. A testament to Hokusai's innovative artistry.