Display | Views of the Natural World in Japanese and Chinese Prints

Version française à venir.

Rare Books and Special Collections at McGill Libraries holds an important number of Japanese woodblock prints, including many works by renowned Ukiyo-e artist, Katsushika Hokusai. Although many famous Hokusai prints focus on vivid depictions of human life in bustling urban settings, McGill’s collection also includes many works depicting elements of the natural world of evident interest to the artist and of great and enduring importance for Japanese culture.

Views of the Natural World in Japanese and Chinese Prints draws inspiration from Hokusai as well as other prominent Ukiyo-e artists such as Utagawa Hiroshige. The display presents key visual themes in Hokusai’s nature-focused works—such as Mount Fuji, birds, and the sea— in conjunction with pieces by Japanese and Chinese artists who similarly celebrated the beauty, power, and cultural symbolism of nature. Spanning from the 17th to the 21st centuries, the works on display depict people in nature, mountains, landscapes, sea life, plants, flowers, birds, and even mythological creatures.

Views of the Natural World in Japanese and Chinese Prints will run through August 2025 and can be viewed during opening hours.