The Lake at Hakone in Sagami Province c. 1834 - 1837

"The Lake at Hakone in Sagami Province" was crafted by Hokumyō in the 1830s, using woodblock printing. The print’s composition orchestrates a landscape with a serene lake, bracketed by verdant hills and marked by a distant, snow-capped mountain. Notice how Hokumyō employs color to structure the scene. The cool blues of the water and sky contrast with the yellows of the land, creating depth and distance. This interplay isn't merely decorative; it's a structural device defining space. The lines of the trees and the undulations of the landscape are formalized, almost geometric, which speaks to a deeper engagement with how we perceive nature through artistic constructs. Hokumyō’s vision, captured in the print’s structured organization, invites us to see the landscape not just as a view but as a carefully constructed system. This visual coding encourages us to question the relationship between representation and reality, challenging the notion of a singular, fixed perspective.