Page 26 - Sotheby's London Fine Japanese Art Nov. 2019

THE PROPERTY OF A GENTLEM AN

18

THE PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN
KATSUSHIKA HOKUSAI (1760–1849)
SHOWER BELOW THE SUMMIT
(SANKA HAKU-U)
EDO PERIOD, 19 TH CENTURY
woodblock print: ink and colour on
paper, from the series Thirty-Six Views of
Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei), signed
Hokusai aratame Iitsu hitsu, published by
Nishimuraya Yohachi (Eijudô), circa 1831
Horizontal ôban:
25 x 37 cm., 9⅞ x 14⅝ in.
Also known as “Black Fuji,” Hokusai
monumentally depicts Fuji from the west on
a late afternoon summer day. As indicated
by the Japanese title “white rain” (haku’u),
a sudden downpour results from a summer
storm down on the lower slopes. With the
sun casting a dramatic light onto the clouds,
the dark thunderclouds in the background
strongly contrast the clear blue sky behind
the summit of Mount Fuji.
The same print is in numerous museum
collections including the Museum of Fine
Arts, Boston, accession no. 11.25222, the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession no.
JP2567, and the British Museum, accession
no. 1906,1220,0.526.
‡ £ 120,000-180,000
€ 135,000-203,000 US$ 149,000-224,000

24 Buyers are liable to pay both the hammer price (as estimated above) and the buyer’s premium together with any applicable taxes and Artist’s Resale Right (which will depend on the individual circumstances).
Refer to the Buying at Auction and VAT sections at the back of this catalogue for further information.