Fuji through Flowers (Kakan no Fuji): Detached page from One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku hyakkei) Vol. 1 Possibly 1834 - 1835

Editor: Here we have Hokusai's "Fuji through Flowers," a woodblock print from his "One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji." I'm struck by the contrast between the bustling scene of daily life and the serene, almost dreamlike, depiction of Mount Fuji in the background. What's your interpretation of this contrast? Curator: Hokusai was very deliberate in portraying the ordinary alongside the iconic. Consider the social context: these prints were affordable, mass-produced images for a burgeoning merchant class. By framing Fuji through everyday activities, like the gathering under the blossoming tree, Hokusai democratizes the symbol of Japan, bringing it into the lives of common people. How does this democratization of imagery influence its cultural significance, do you think? Editor: That's interesting! I hadn’t thought about it that way. It makes the mountain seem less like an untouchable symbol and more a part of everyday life. Curator: Exactly. And it highlights the power of art to shape and reflect social change. It makes me wonder how artists today are democratizing iconic imagery.