Umezawa Manor in Sagami Province

Cranes take the spotlight in this quiet woodblock print by Katsushika Hokusai, part of his celebrated series "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji" from the early 1830s. Made during Japan's Edo period, the image shows the marshlands of Umezawa Manor in Sagami Province, where a group of elegant birds wade, feed, and lift into flight. Mount Fuji sits far off in the distance, its snowy summit fading gently into a pale blue sky. Rather than making the mountain the hero, Hokusai lets it play a supporting role while the graceful cranes carry the scene.

Cool blues wash across the whole print, a look Hokusai achieved with Prussian blue, a bright new pigment imported into Japan at the time. Cranes held deep meaning in Japanese culture, standing for long life and good luck, so their presence gives the marsh a gentle, hopeful mood. Though famous today for "The Great Wave," Hokusai clearly enjoyed exploring calmer subjects too. Nothing dramatic happens in this misty morning scene, and that is exactly its charm. It is a simple reminder that beauty can turn up in the most ordinary of places.