Mt. Fuji and Sign, Mt. Fuji, Japan, from “Recent Developments”

Description

Elliott Erwitt
United States, born 1928
Mt. Fuji and Sign, Mt. Fuji, Japan, from Recent
Developments
1977
Gelatin silver print on paper
Gift of Lawrence and Carol Zicklin, 1987/1.175.1

Elliott Erwitt immigrated to the United States at the age of
ten and in 1951 he was drafted into the U.S. military, where
he served as a photographer’s assistant.
Influenced by Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908–2004), who
pioneered candid and street photography, Erwitt’s images
often showcase his humor and sense of irony. Though many
of his photographs feature people, this one depicts Mount
Fuji. Erwitt flattens the space by juxtaposing the foreground
element with Mount Fuji in the distance, in the manner
of Japanese woodblock print designers such as Katsushika
Hokusai (1760–1849) and Andō Hiroshige (1797–1858), whose
work is on display nearby. The iconic snow-capped mountain
is the focal point of the photograph, cleverly emphasized
by the white arrow on the sign. The echoing peaked shapes
are reminiscent of Hokusai’s technique of repeating Mount
Fuji’s form throughout a composition.