Fuji on the Swell (Uneri Fuji): Half of detatched page from One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku hyakkei) Vol. 2 Possibly 1835 - 1836

Curator: Here we have Hokusai's "Fuji on the Swell," part of his "One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji." It's this intimate little page—just nine by five and a half inches—where he tries to capture something truly vast. Editor: It’s all swells, a chaotic sea of lines! You almost miss the boat and the suggestion of Fuji lurking in the background. Is it a dream, a premonition, or just a really bad commute? Curator: Hokusai’s genius lies in suggesting that enormity and using line to suggest depth; he’s not just drawing waves; he's drawing force, and rhythm. Notice how the lines converge and diverge, creating a sense of constant motion. Editor: True, it’s not just decorative, it's kinetic. And that little boat, dwarfed by the waves, filled with people. There's a sense of human vulnerability but also, strangely, resolve. Curator: Exactly! It reminds me of Basho's haiku: "Rough sea/ and stretching over Sado island/ the Milky Way." Even in the face of nature's immensity, we keep rowing. Editor: Yes! I'd say Hokusai really nails that feeling of being a tiny speck in a massive, undulating universe. Kind of humbling, really.