Yoshida on the Tōkaidō (Yoshida Tōkaidō), from the series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjÅ«rokkei) c. 1831

Curator: Katsushika Hokusai’s woodblock print, "Yoshida on the Tōkaidō," part of his "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji" series, presents a roadside scene. Editor: The immediate impression is one of weariness, even exhaustion, contrasted with the iconic mountain in the distance. Curator: The figures suggest travellers pausing at a tea house. Hokusai masterfully uses the tea house as a framing device. The mountain operates as a cultural anchor. Editor: I am struck by the material choices. The varying tones of blue, achieved through different applications of pigment, communicate the scene's mood. Curator: The print signifies a moment of respite within the larger journey, but the mountain looming large serves as a reminder of the journey's wider cultural and spiritual significance. Editor: Absolutely. And it’s interesting to consider the labour involved in producing such a detailed image, one intended for wider consumption along that very Tōkaidō road. Curator: It presents a potent combination of everyday experience and enduring cultural symbol. Editor: A great reminder of the social and material life embedded within art.