South Wind, Clear Sky
South Wind, Clear Sky, also known as Fine Wind, Clear Morning or Red Fuji, is wood block print by Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849), part of his Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji series. It dates from approximately 1830-32, the Edo period, and is currently held by museums worldwide, including the British Museum in London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and the Indianapolis Museum of Art.
Description
In early autumn when, as the title specifies, the wind is southerly and the sky is clear, the rising sun can turn Mt. Fuji red. Hokusai captures this moment with compositional abstraction but meteorological specificity, especially when compared to the rest of the series. The three shades of deepening blue of the sky mirror the three hues of the mountain. The lingering remnants of snow at the peak of the mountain and dark shadows encompassing the forest at its base place it very precisely in time. Mt. Fuji's solidly symmetrical shape on the right half of the image is balanced by the delicate clouds to the left, for a striking composition.
Created: 10th January 2013 - - - - Last Updated: 10th January 2013