Sakai Dōitsu, Mt Fuji and Pines, a hanging scroll painting

Mt Fuji is the most famous and revered mountain in Japan. It is admired for its height, shape, and beauty, and has featured in Japanese poems and paintings since ancient times. It was a favourite theme of the Rimpa artists, who specialized in a stylized and richly decorative art. The father of Dōitsu (1845-1913), Yamamoto Sōdo, was a follower of the important Rimpa artist, Sakai Hōitsu (1761-1828).

The composition places the mountain to the left of a rectangular space, as was traditional. The peak is covered in snow, but the slopes beneath are given a rather colourful treatment using tarashi-komi - a technique unique to the Rimpa school where ink is dripped onto areas of still-wet paint to create a puddled effect. 'Dry brushwork' creates the illusion that the mountain is disappearing into the mists below, and the pines have stylized, mushroom-shaped foliage. These trees represent the pine groves of Miho-no-Matsubara, a celebrated spot from which to view Mt. Fuji.

The signature reads 'Uka Dōitsu', and the seal reads ‘Dōitsu Uka'.