Arai
1804
Hokusai captures a quiet, dusty moment of travel here, likely depicting the path near the famous Arai checkpoint on the Tokaido road, where three figures with faces hidden beneath enormous straw hats trudge along carrying heavy bundles. In the distance, calm waters stretch out with fishing weirs poking up like skeletal fingers. Created in 1804, this piece predates his world-famous 'Great Wave' by decades, showing his early talent for capturing everyday life in Edo-period Japan. Interestingly, Arai was a strict checkpoint famous for inspecting women to ensure they weren't fleeing the capital.
- Technique
- Woodblock print
- Material
- Paper
Views: 3