En no Gyōja Opens Mount Fuji (En no Ubasoku Fugaku sōsō): Detached page from One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku hyakkei) Vol. 1 Possibly 1834 - 1835

Editor: So, this is Hokusai's "En no Gyōja Opens Mount Fuji" from his "One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji." It's a monochromatic print, and those elevated shoes at the bottom really stand out. What's your interpretation? Curator: Hokusai uses En no Gyōja, a figure of resistance against centralized power, to subtly critique the social hierarchies of his time. The very act of "opening" Fuji, a sacred symbol, speaks to challenging established norms. Where do you think this act of defiance situates him within the cultural landscape? Editor: It's like he's reclaiming the mountain for the people, not just the elite. Fascinating. Curator: Precisely. Hokusai connects spirituality with social justice, reminding us that even landscapes can become sites of power struggle. Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't considered. Thanks! Curator: Art becomes powerful when it reflects and challenges the world around it, even through landscape.