Mt. Fuji 11

The eleventh in Kitaoka's sustained series of Fuji studies, this woodblock print reflects the sosaku-hanga approach to an iconic subject: rather than reproduce a fixed pictorial convention, Kitaoka investigated the mountain across multiple states and seasons, treating each numbered impression as a discrete formal inquiry. His Fuji prints characteristically reduce the volcano's silhouette to broad planar passages, using selective bokashi gradations to suggest atmospheric distance or seasonal light without literal description. The carving is typically assertive — visible grain and deliberate tool marks animate the surface in ways that distinguish these works from both the polished finish of Meiji shin-hanga and the Edo-period nishiki-e tradition. The numbered series format itself signals Kitaoka's engagement with Western printmaking practice, where serialized exploration of a motif carries conceptual weight alongside visual documentation.