Initial note

横山　大観

模者不詳,東京国立博物館

Japan’s highest mountain, revered by Japanese since antiquity

宋紫石筆,By Sō Shiseki (1715–1786),東京国立博物館,Tokyo National Museum

<p>This is a painting of Mount Fuji and several other peaks. The horizontal screen creates the impression of surveying the scenery from a window. It probably takes a panoramic view to truly capture the magnificence of this rolling landscape. <br /><br />This is the view of Mount Fuji as seen from Mount Higane in Shizuoka Prefecture. Mount Fuji can be seen on the top right. The verdant mountains of Hakone sprawl out from Mount Higane on the bottom right. The expanse on the left is Suruga Bay. A glance at present-day maps will attest to the geographical accuracy of this depiction.<br /><br />Many painters at the time were drawn to modern Chinese culture. The artist behind this work was one of them. Indeed, his choice of pseudonym, So Shiseki, reflects these Chinese leanings. Shiseki belonged to the Nanpin school, which was influenced by a Chinese painter named Shen Quan, or Shin Nanpin in Japanese, who came to Japan in the mid-Edo period. Shiseki has portrayed Mount Fuji with a delicate, sketch-like touch in a manner showing Western influences, which were introduced from China.</p><br /><p>Mt. Fuji is depicted here as viewed from Mt. Higane, located southwest of Tokyo in Shizuoka Prefecture. Passing through Hakone, the scenery is all the more remarkable for its natural portrayal of depth.</p>