Who painted Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji: Dawn at Isawa in Kai Province, and when?

Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji: Dawn at Isawa in Kai Province is by Katsushika Hokusai, made in c. 1830-33 (Tenpo 1-4). Medium: Woodblock print (ukiyo-e).

Where can I see Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji: Dawn at Isawa in Kai Province?

It is held by Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo Fuji Art Museum, Edo-Tokyo Museum. Exhibitions change, so check each museum's information before you visit.

Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji ・ 40

Dawn at Isawa in Kai Province

冨嶽三十六景甲州伊沢暁

From a post town before dawn, travelers and horses loaded with cargo set off in a rush. Beyond the drifting morning mist, a dark Fuji is emerging against a faintly tinged sky.

Artist: Katsushika Hokusai
Date: c. 1830-33 (Tenpo 1-4)
Medium / format: Woodblock print (ukiyo-e)
Series: Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji 46 prints
Place depicted: Isawa（Yamanashi）
Seen in the distance: Mount Fuji

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About this work

Fuji is drawn with dark, nearly ink-colored slopes, and only the low part of the sky is faintly tinged pink. It is the form of the mountain just before sunrise, when no light has yet reached it. From Fuji's foot to the middle ground, flat morning mist trails in many layers. The contrast between the dark Fuji and the pale sky conveys the air of a morning still holding on to sleep.

In the foreground post town, thatched roofs line up, and the road between them is crowded with travelers in hats and horses loaded with cargo. The bustle of people leaving their lodgings in the early morning is expressed through a swarm of tiny figures. A bridge spans the river that flows through the middle ground, and the post town, river, and Fuji overlap in order from front to back. At lower right a green rocky hill juts out, anchoring the corner of the picture. Loads are piled on the horses' backs, and people gather in front of the inn preparing to depart.

Isawa refers to today's Isawa in Fuefuki City, Yamanashi Prefecture, a post station on the Koshu Kaido. The Tokyo Fuji Art Museum identifies the river in the middle ground as the Fuefuki River. It is one of the ten prints added after the 36, and the lines printed in black ink and the subdued colors create the stillness before dawn.

The place today

Isawa is a town that prospered as a post station on the Koshu Kaido. In 1961 (Showa 36), when a hot spring source was drilled, hot water overflowed into the surrounding rivers and fields, creating a stir. Since then it has been known as Isawa Onsen, with hot-spring inns gathered near the Fuefuki River.

Where can I see it?

Exhibitions change over time. Check each museum's exhibition information before you visit.

Museums that hold this work

Tokyo National Museum
Taito City, Tokyo　Accession no. A-11177
From the set of 34 sheets of Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji
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Tokyo Fuji Art Museum
Hachioji
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Edo-Tokyo Museum
Sumida City, Tokyo　Accession no. 92202783
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Museums that hold this series (please check the museum's website for whether it holds this print)

Yamanashi Prefectural Museum
Fuefuki
Complete set of 46 sheets
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Frequently asked questions

Who painted Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji: Dawn at Isawa in Kai Province, and when?: Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji: Dawn at Isawa in Kai Province is by Katsushika Hokusai, made in c. 1830-33 (Tenpo 1-4). Medium: Woodblock print (ukiyo-e).
What place does Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji: Dawn at Isawa in Kai Province show?: It shows Isawa (Yamanashi).
Where can I see Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji: Dawn at Isawa in Kai Province?: It is held by Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo Fuji Art Museum, Edo-Tokyo Museum. Exhibitions change, so check each museum's information before you visit.