Enoshima in Sagami Province - Katsushika Hokusai

A classic woodblock print by Katsushika Hokusai depicting the island of Enoshima at low tide, featuring the iconic silhouette of Mount Fuji.

Enoshima in Sagami Province is a woodblock print from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji. Katsushika Hokusai produced this collection during the Edo period, capturing the mountain from various locations and conditions. This specific composition depicts the island of Enoshima at low tide, revealing a sandy causeway that allows pilgrims to reach the shrine.

The print demonstrates Hokusai's mastery of the Prussian blue pigment, which was relatively new to Japan at the time. The deep blue tones define the roofs of the village structures and the dense foliage, providing a contrast to the pale, muted sky and the distant silhouette of Mount Fuji. The composition is balanced, with the village occupying the left foreground and the mountain positioned in the distance on the right.

Small figures traverse the tidal flats, adding a sense of scale and human activity to the scene. The architectural details of the village, including the stone walls and temple structures, are rendered with precision. Hokusai uses a clear, graphic approach to represent the natural environment, focusing on the relationship between the coastal geography and the iconic mountain. The print reflects the popularity of travel and pilgrimage in nineteenth-century Japan, as well as the artist's interest in the interplay between man-made structures and the natural world. This work remains a representative example of the technical skill involved in the ukiyo-e tradition, particularly in the layering of colour and the use of negative space to guide the viewer's eye across the composition.