Mishima, from the series Fifty-Three Stations of Tōkaidō
Other Titles
Mishima 三島, from the series Tōkaidō gojūsan tsugi 東海道五十三次
Abstract
In this image of Mishima, the twelfth station of the Tōkaidō, Hokusai includes a Shinto shrine gate and tall trees. Although characteristic of Mishima, these elements occupy the background and are partially obstructed by clouds. In the foreground, typically for this early series, Hokusai focuses on figures and anecdotal scenes, showing four travelers of different social strata, with different style s of walking.
This series of images illustrating the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō is characteristic of Hokusai's style in the early 1800s, when, unlike several decades later, the artist focused on figures instead of landscape and used the traditional narrati ve device of cloud patterns.