Hokusai's Complete Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji Opens at Dulwich Picture Gallery in First UK Showing
The complete Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji by Katsushika Hokusai is currently on display at Dulwich Picture Gallery in London, marking the series' first comprehensive exhibition in the UK. Among the highlights are three exceptional impressions of Under the Wave off Kanagawa, widely known as the Great Wave. A closer look reveals a strikingly violent portrayal of the water, with the wave's frothy white peak towering over figures crammed into slender boats, transforming into shapes reminiscent of sharp claws. Mount Fuji, a steadfast symbol of hope, looms in the background. The exhibition also features images of vulnerable rowers, exposed river-crossers, and tea-drinkers in snow, conveying a message about the importance of trusting in what is fundamental and lasting. Critics have praised the show as magnificent and stunning.
Key facts
- Dulwich Picture Gallery in London hosts the complete Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji by Katsushika Hokusai.
- The exhibition is the first in Britain devoted to the full series.
- Three different impressions of Under the Wave off Kanagawa, known as the Great Wave, are displayed.
- The reviewer argues Mount Fuji, not the wave, is the hero of the Great Wave and of all the prints.
- The wave's crest is described as breaking into forms resembling sharp claws above figures in long thin boats.
- Other prints in the series depict helpless rowers, naked river-crossers and snowbound tea-drinkers.
- The series is interpreted as a warning to put faith in the essential and enduring.
- The review appeared on the Guardian website at the URL theguardian.com/artanddesign/2026/oct/19/hokusai-thirty-six-views-of-mount-fuji-review-dulwich-picture-gallery.
Entities
Artists
Institutions
- Dulwich Picture Gallery
- The Guardian
- Iuchi Collection
- National Museum of Western Art
- Financial Times
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Mount Fuji
- Japan
- Tokyo