Covid Museum Edition !
Katsushika Hokusai (Japanese, 1760–1849)
Color woodblock print
Hello to all viewers, welcome to my blog of the Museum experience. I had never been to a museum location before. Unfortunately, due to Covid, I am not able to experience a museum event fully in person. I will most definitely plan on a Museum trip, after the world returns back to the normal state. The piece of art I chose to speak about, was discover through Allen Memorial Art Museum, located at Oberlin College, in Ohio, California. I've always been driven by the nature, therefore, this piece hooked my attention. The experience, I obtain from the virtual museum tour, was a great experience to appreciate art. In my most honest words, I've always think of Museum being boring. I've never been interested in enjoying it. However, taking the Humanities class, helped me achieved a different perspective of Museum. I've learned that an image, or a piece of art, is not just art. It tells a story, of how people lived in the time of Era. Therefore, taking the Asian Humanities class, and now having a museum experience, gave me many insights and knowledge, to how Humans live throughout the history. Setting my experience aside, Let's start diving into the creation of the art I've chosen !.
First, Mount Fuji Mountain, is the tallest mountain in Japan. It stands at 3,776 meters, and is actually an active volcano; erupted in the year of 1707. This is one of the most popular tourist spot in Japan, and many people attempt to climb it. Besides the beauty, and popularity of this important spot. It holds a sacred spiritual meaning in the Japanese culture. Which, they now announce it as a symbol of Japan.Mount Fuji holds an important meaning to the Japanese. It is said to be the symbol of Japan. The Mount Fuji represents cultural, physical and spiritual geography. "Mount Fuji has been a sacred site for practicers of Shinto since at least the 7th century. Shinto is the indigenous faith or spirituality of Japan" (Carly Sue). Shinto is referred to "Shinto began as a primitive animistic collection of beliefs and practices, focusing on reverence for the spirits (kami) of natural phenomena, such as mountains, waterfalls, great trees, and also the spirits of departed ancestors"Bresnan, Patrick S.. Awakening (p. 486). This is how Mount Fuji, holds a sacred spiritual meaning to the Japanese. The nature of the rock that erupted on the island, is recognized as a Kami to the blessing in Japanese land. This spiritual aspect, contributes to the creator of this art piece.
Katsushika Hokusai, earns a name of being the famous artist, of the Fuji in clear weather painting, as show above. He has been striving, to earn a legacy name of being a great artist. Throughout his low moments, of not being known of his arts. He still holds motivation to create better art. "Hokusai writes: From around the age of six, I had the habit of sketching from life. I became an artist, and from fifty on began producing works that won some reputation, but nothing I did before the age of seventy was worthy of attention". Through obstacle he still proceeds with his passion of painting. At the age 60, he started to earn recognition, with the Mount Fuji art collection. This painting is stem from his religious beliefs. Hokusai was a member of the Nichiren sect of Buddhism. His name Hokusai means North studio, and this name links to North Star, which is associated with the deity Myoken. With the religious belief, and his love for mountains, this had driven him to create arts of Mount Fuji. Which earned him, his legacy, before his death. He had successfully, became what he wanted to be known for, and recognized as; A Well painted artist.
Through researching, and understanding the meaning of creating this art piece. It generates a different way to admire the art piece. Each Museum art piece, allows us to understand, how an individual live and feel, during the Era, that we didn't experience. It holds the generation map, to how humans are now. From the beginning of the semester, our professor ask us what does our name means, and now I understand why she ask that question. Our name holds a value and a story to our life. This Museum experience, had truly opened me up, to have a real person experience in a Museum. That will be on my goal list, after the pandemic. I hope all viewers learned and explore something new, like I did. Here I attached a link below, to Hokusai website, for more information, and contributions to his work. Thank you for stopping by, and reading a piece of my discover.
Work Cited
Bresnan, Patrick. Awakening: an Introduction to the History of Eastern Thought. Routledge, 2017.
“Biography of Katsushika Hokusai.” Katsushika Hokusai Biography | Life, Paintings, Influence on Art,
National Geographic Society. “Mount Fuji.” National Geographic Society, 9 Nov. 2012.
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