Takahashi Shōtei (1871–1945) designed landscape prints for the shin-hanga movement, working with the publisher Watanabe Shōzaburō to revive woodblock art for a modern audience. “Mount Fuji From Hakone” takes one of the most familiar of all Japanese views — the snow-capped cone seen from the Hakone mountains — and gives it Shōtei’s quiet, atmospheric treatment.
The print is a colour woodblock. Fuji’s white peak rises over dark foreground ridges; a small house and a few trees mark the lower corner; the sky shifts from blue to a band of pink at the horizon. That graded sky comes from bokashi, a hand-applied wiping of ink on the block that lets one colour fade into another.
The composition is balanced and calm, with the mountain held high and clear. It suits a living room, a bedroom, or a hallway, and its cool palette with a single warm horizon works well against white or pale walls.
Choose it unframed on heavyweight matte paper, framed behind shatter-resista . . . Read More >>
Takahashi Shōtei (1871–1945) designed landscape prints for the shin-hanga movement, working with the publisher Watanabe Shōzaburō to revive woodblock art for a modern audience. “Mount Fuji From Hakone” takes one of the most familiar of all Japanese views — the snow-capped cone seen from the Hakone mountains — and gives it Shōtei’s quiet, atmospheric treatment.
The print is a colour woodblock. Fuji’s white peak rises over dark foreground ridges; a small house and a few trees mark the lower corner; the sky shifts from blue to a band of pink at the horizon. That graded sky comes from bokashi, a hand-applied wiping of ink on the block that lets one colour fade into another.
The composition is balanced and calm, with the mountain held high and clear. It suits a living room, a bedroom, or a hallway, and its cool palette with a single warm horizon works well against white or pale walls.
Choose it unframed on heavyweight matte paper, framed behind shatter-resistant acrylic glazing, or as a satin-coated cotton canvas. The image is the same across all three; only the finish and weight change.
Frequently asked questions
Where is this view of Fuji taken from?
From the Hakone mountains south of the volcano, a region long valued for its views of Fuji. Shōtei shows the peak above dark ridges, with a small house in the foreground.
How was the graded sky made?
By bokashi, a woodblock technique in which ink is wiped across the block by hand before printing, so one colour fades smoothly into the next — here, blue into pink at the horizon.
Is Mount Fuji a common subject in Japanese prints?
Yes. Fuji has been drawn and printed for centuries, by Hokusai and Hiroshige among many others. Shōtei’s contribution is its quiet, modern mood.
What walls suit this print?
Its cool blues and single warm horizon read clearly against white or pale walls, in living rooms, bedrooms and hallways alike.
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Japan historical period: Showa 昭和 (1926-1989)
Place of origin:
Hakone,
Kanto region
Check out other artwork of Takahashi Shōtei
