NOTES
This small but visually powerful painting depicts the snow-covered upper reaches of Mount Fuji rising above fluffy white clouds. The focus on this well-known and celebrated Japanese subject makes it an ideal example of Nihonga (Japanese-style painting).
Mount Fuji is arguably the most iconic symbol of Japan, both within the country and internationally. With an elevation of 12,388 feet, it is the country’s highest mountain as well as an active volcano that last erupted in 1708. Its majestic and nearly symmetrical cone dominates the landscape southwest of the capital metropolis of Tokyo. The summit is covered with snow for about five months every year from late autumn into early spring, and it is often obscured by clouds at lower altitudes.
