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Katsushika Hokusai — Fukagawa Mannenbashi no shita (Under the Mannen Bridge at Fukagawa)
Katsushika Hokusai

Fukagawa Mannenbashi no shita (Under the Mannen Bridge at Fukagawa)

This woodblock print from Hokusai's series "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo" depicts a dramatic perspective view from beneath the Mannen Bridge looking toward the Fukagawa district, with the composition emphasizing depth through converging lines of the bridge's wooden supports. The print showcases Hokusai's masterful use of Prussian blue, a pigment newly available in Japan during the Edo period, to create atmospheric effects and spatial recession. The work exemplifies the artist's innovative approach to landscape representation, combining Western perspective techniques with traditional Japanese printmaking methods.

Notes

LOT ESSAY Mannenbashi Bridge stood on the eastern side of Edo, at the confluence of the Onagi and the Sumida Rivers. Given the low elevation of this area, the bridge necessitated construction across a towering stone wall, as depicted in this print. The fire lookout tower in the distance serves as a varnishing point. Hokusai may have drawn inspiration for this distinctive composition from a design in Kawamura Minsetsu’s printed book, Hyakufuji (One hundred illustrations of Mount Fuji).

🔨 Auction Lot

Japanese and Korean Art

March 24, 2026

Estimate: $12,000$22,000

Lot 82

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About this work

Katsushika Hokusai, Fukagawa Mannenbashi no shita (Under the Mannen Bridge at Fukagawa)

This woodblock print from Hokusai's series "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo" depicts a dramatic perspective view from beneath the Mannen Bridge looking toward the Fukagawa district, with the composition emphasizing depth through converging lines of the bridge's wooden supports. The print showcases Hokusai's masterful use of Prussian blue, a pigment newly available in Japan during the Edo period, to create atmospheric effects and spatial recession. The work exemplifies the artist's innovative approach to landscape representation, combining Western perspective techniques with traditional Japanese printmaking methods.

Seen at
Christie's, London, United Kingdom

Related themes

Serene Mood, River Scene, Ukiyo-e, Japanese Artist, Edo Period, Urban Landscape, Woodblock Print, Nature And Architecture, Atmospheric Perspective, Horizontal Composition

More works by Katsushika Hokusai

Collected by

Art Institute of Chicago