Original Fuji, Meguro (Meguro Moto-Fuji), Number 25 from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei) Possibly 1856

Editor: This print is titled "Original Fuji, Meguro," number 25 in the series "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo" by Utagawa Hiroshige. The strong diagonal of the hill really strikes me. What do you see as the key elements in this composition? Curator: Note the interplay of foreground and background, the planar organization. Observe how Hiroshige uses color to delineate space, flattening the composition. The intense green of the hill acts as a foil to the muted tones of Fuji in the distance. Editor: The flattened perspective is interesting. It's almost like a stage set. Curator: Precisely. The foreground flattens, creating a decorative surface, while the distant Fuji becomes an emblem, a symbolic element rather than a realistic depiction. The linear quality of the trees also contributes to this effect. Editor: I hadn't considered that interplay of surface and symbol, very insightful! Curator: Indeed. The composition directs our gaze and transforms the landscape into a meditation on form and color.