Arts/Cultural Blog Post

Title: Boy Looking at Mount Fuji
Artist: Unknown, Studio of HOKUSAI Katsushika
Year: n.d.


This piece of art depics a young boy whose back is facing towards us, sitting on a thin crooked tree, playing what seems to be like a flute.  In the distance Mount Fuji is standing tall with only its top clearly visible.  The bottom of the mountain is painted in all white.  Hanging on the tree to the left of the boy is large wicker basket.  Below the boy seems to be a waterfall shaped like stairs approaching Mount Fuji.

The date of which this piece was created is unkwon.  However, the studio of HOKUSAI Katsushika ranged from 1760-1849, meaning that this piece was created somewhere between that time.  On 1783 Mount Asama erupted, wiping out towns, villages and farm lands.  The painting only shows one boy visiting Mount Fuji.  This could suggest that most people at the time may have feared or resented mountains after what happened at Mount Asama, except the little boy whose innoncence still allows him to appreciate the sacredness of Mt. Fuji.  In addition, Japan was very secluded from the rest of the world until 1854.  Like Japan at the time, the boy is the only one present in the painting and is secluded in his own world paradise.  There is no tie with politics in this paiting, but Hokusai was a member of Nichiren, a buddist sect, where his choice to paint and draw Mt. Fuji stemmed from.

This piece of work does not hit me emotionally, but I can relate to it.  Like the boy in the painting, I like to be alone at times.  Its great to have friends and go out, but everyone needs time to themselves.  Like the boy in the painting, when you are by yourself your free to do whatever you want without people judging you.  Your free to think what you want, feel what you want, and reject what you want.  Sometimes we can have the best times being by ourselves, which is what I believe the boy in the painting is experiencing.  The painting itself makes me feel at ease.  The mountian in the distance and the cool, light colors used gives me a feeling a calmness and quietness.  The boy all by himself in the painting sitting on the tree gives me a carefree, relaxed feeling.

The artist creates credibility by not paiting pictures with people actually on the mountain, seeing how it was a very sacred place where commoners and foriegners were not allowed.  He also painted the mountain with only the top visible. This is also credible because Mt. Fuji is very big, it would be very hard to see the whole thing from that point of view.  Also Mt. Fuji is often covered by clouds or smoke, and is very hard to see at times.  Like I mentioned above, the artist is unknown.  This piece of work could have been a student or an apprentice from Hokusai's studio.  Hokusai and his studio have produced many works of art such as, The Dragon of Smoke, The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido, Hokusai Manga, and many more.

I believe that this piece is strictly demonstrating the sacredness of Mt. Fuji.  You see the boy at a distance from the mountain, yet he knows it is a sacred place and is at peace because of that.  The painting does not show a big party or war near the mountain, but a innocent boy playing a flute.  Also note how the instrument is a flute which is very peaceful, instead of a drum which is loud and symbolizes with war.  I believe the claim has its intent to show the sacredness of Mt. Fuji but I do not believe that the artist was trying to persuade anything.

I thought the Palmer Art Museum was amazing.  I was very impressed with the amount works and space that it had.  The pieces of work varied from Japan to America to Italy, and so much more.  It had paintings as well as pottery and sculpture.  I am not a museum-goer but I want to start.  As a young child I could not appreciate it as much but now that I am older I want to experience more art.  It was my first time going to the Palmer Museum and I could see myself going back.  It seems like a nice place to take a friend for a nice walk and conversation.  Overall I enjoyed going to the Palmer Art Museum, it was a great experience! 



http://www.shikokuhenrotrail.com/japanhistory/edohistory.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokusai