15.Lake Suwa in Shinano Province 信州諏訪湖
Lake Suwa in Shinano Province
(Shinshū Suwako — Present-day Shimosuwa, Nagano Prefecture)
Hokusai, who disliked the stillness of symmetrical compositions,
chose to center the image around a vertical axis—
a rare choice within the Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji.
Only "Lake Suwa in Shinano Province" and "Mishima Pass in Kai Province" share this structure.
To keep the image from becoming static or rigid,
Hokusai resorted to visual magic.
Two pine trees stretch diagonally, forming a wide "V" shape.
Their branches are sparse—
a pruning likely performed by Hokusai himself.
This opens up the grand landscape beyond.
With no obstructive branches,
the viewer’s gaze flows smoothly into the distance.
A small cape bearing a shrine juts slightly to the left,
as if pointing toward the distant Mount Fuji.
Along the way stands Takashima Castle of Suwa.
Symmetrical, yet dynamic.
The eye moves—
it never rests.
Hokusai masterfully combines two opposing qualities.
Through this, he breathes life into symmetry—
a compositional brilliance.
This is Hokusai’s magic.
Herein lies Hokusai’s discerning eye for beauty.
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16.In the Mountain in Totomi Province 遠江山中
In the Mountains of Tōtōmi
Western Shizuoka Prefecture
Several of Hokusai’s key compositional elements are layered here:
· A dynamic composition
· An interaction between figures above and below
(in this case, only through their gaze)
· A concave foreground base, with a convex Mount Fuji placed at the bottom
The support posts holding the large timber are beautiful.
They were likely temporary structures used only during the felling of the trees.
If we nitpick:
Structurally, these posts would not hold.
Unless they were buried deep underground
and the bottom of the timber was firmly fixed,
the moment a worker moved atop the beam,
it would topple forward instantly.
But Hokusai doesn’t care.
The support posts are just supporting characters.
As long as they convey the idea that the timber is being held,
as long as it doesn’t appear to float in midair, that’s enough.
Within the triangular shape formed by the support posts under the timber,
almost all elements of the picture are contained:
The people on the ground,
the origin of the smoke,
and Mount Fuji.
There is one worker above the timber.
A contrast of density and openness.
Precisely because the lower area is dense,
the timber worker stands out.
If both the upper and lower areas were sparse, the composition would lack power.
Hokusai guides the viewer’s gaze toward the subject—
This is his trick.
Hokusai’s aesthetic sensibility resides here.