Japanese Woodblock Print, originally published c. 1830-2, the print at auction is a Showa era impression published by Adachi

SIZE IN INCHES: oban, 15 x 10.5 inches

COMMENTS: RYOGOKU BRIDGE, near Asakusa, was the most famous of several large bridges across the Sumida river. It appears in many of Hokusai's prints, as well as in those of Hiroshige. At several points between the Sumida bridges there were ferry crossings, and Oumaya bank was a landing for one of these.

Here a blue Fuji is shown against a pinkish evening sky. the black shading at the top and the umbrella held by one of the passengers in the boat suggest that there has just been a sudden shower of the sort that often occurs on summer evenings in Japan. The ferry riders are a motley crew of townspeople, some seemingly interested in the view, others completely unconscious of it. The literature of the Edo period abounds in stories of the happenings that occurred when people from all walks of life were crowded together in ferry boats.

In the foreground is an example of Hokusai's skill in portraying the flow of water. The composition illustrates Hokusai's tendency to organize his pictures geometrically, in terms of circles, arcs, and triangles. The convex sweep of the bridge and the concave lines of the boat set an overall pattern for the print, which is reflected in the undulations of the river. Bringing everything together at a central point is the little triangle that represents Fuji.

KATSUSHIKA HOKUSAI, who also used the names Shunro, Sori, Kako, Taito, Gakyojin, Iitsu, and Manji was born October 1760, and died May 10, 1849, was a Japanese master artist and printmaker of the ukiyo-e (pictures of the floating world) school. His early works represent the full spectrum of ukiyo-e art, including single-sheet prints of landscapes and actors, hand paintings, and surimono (printed things), such as greetings and announcements. Later he concentrated on the classical themes of the samurai and Chinese subjects. His famous print series "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji," published between 1826 and 1833, marked the summit in the history of the Japanese landscape print.

Fine, no flaws