Created from high-quality wood, milled with simple clean lines and presented with a satin finish. Includes an off-white mount that will not discolour or fade with age. - Simple, elegant design - Premium, fine art paper with a gently textured surface - Handmade by specialist picture framers - FSC certified off-white mat / window mount - Delivered ready for hanging

The painting "Yoro Waterfall in Mino Province" is part of Hokusai’s celebrated series "A Tour of Waterfalls in Various Provinces." This particular piece showcases the splendor and vitality of the Yoro Waterfall, which is found in modern-day Gifu Prefecture, Japan.

In this print, the water cascades down rugged cliffs, creating a striking contrast between the rigid, angular rocks and the fluid, sinewy lines of the water. Hokusai masterfully employs his woodblock printing techniques to render the velocity and vigor of the falling water, which seems almost to leap off the paper. Each droplet and splash is meticulously detailed, enhancing the dynamic movement within the scene.

The landscape around the waterfall is lush and verdant, with vegetation clinging tenaciously to the steep cliffs. At the bottom of the cascade, pools form, gently swirling with the force of the water’s descent. Figures are often integrated into Hokusai's landscapes to highlight the scale and majesty of nature; indeed, in this print, a few tiny human figures can be seen, dwarfed by the grandeur of the waterfall. Their presence underscores the theme of human humility in the face of nature's omnipotence.

Katsushika Hokusai is a monumental figure in the history of Japanese art and is particularly famous for his woodblock prints within the ukiyo-e genre. Born in 1760, Hokusai's career spanned the late Edo period, a time when the ukiyo-e movement was flourishing. He is best known for his series "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji," but his groundbreaking work with landscape prints extended well beyond this.

The "A Tour of Waterfalls in Various Provinces" series showcases Hokusai’s fascination with natural landscapes, which was a relatively novel subject matter in ukiyo-e at the time, as the genre traditionally centered around courtesans and Kabuki actors. His depiction of waterfalls combines both keen scientific observation and a romanticized vision of nature’s majesty.

Hokusai’s handling of water in this print reflects his deep understanding and reverence for the elements. The dramatic, almost abstract, portrayal of the waterfall can be seen as a bridge between traditional Japanese nihonga painting and the Western artistic influences that would soon permeate Japan. Hokusai’s influence extends far and wide, not only through Japan but into Western art, profoundly impacting Impressionists like Claude Monet and post-Impressionists like Vincent van Gogh.

- The series "A Tour of Waterfalls" is among the pioneering works that shifted the focus of ukiyo-e from urban pleasures to the natural landscape.
- Hokusai was around seventy-two years old when he created this series, evidence of his lifelong dedication to innovation and mastery in his field.
- His work on cascading water displays not just technical brilliance but a poetic sensitivity to natural phenomena.

The original prints from this series are highly treasured and are part of significant collections in major institutions around the world, attesting to the enduring global appreciation for Hokusai’s work. The "Yoro Waterfall in Mino Province" remains an exemplary piece not just of Hokusai's vast oeuvre but of Japanese art more broadly, symbolizing an era in which the natural world began to take a central role in artistic expression.