Inume Pass in Kai Province from the series Thirty-Six Views of Mt. Fuji

Katsushika Hokusai created the series Thirty-Six Views of Mt. Fuji in the 1830s, beginning them when he was approximately 70 years old. In this series, Hokusai depicts the sacred mountain from multiple distances and angles, in every season. In most of the series, Hokusai represents Mt. Fuji as an integral part in the everyday lives of people. Mt. Fuji often appears in the background, while figures in the foreground carry packages, hike, and participate in other daily activities.

In Inume Pass in Kai Province Hokusai depicts a partially hidden view of Mt. Fuji, covered in part by a hill. The size of people depicted climbing the hill in the foreground conveys scale in the print, and impresses upon the viewer a sense of Mt. Fuji’s enormity.