Although the piece is dominated by nature, my eye picks out a human element. The viewer is positioned far away from the scene, separated from the hill by what could be a large snowdrift, part of the mountain, or even some sort of avalanche of white on the left side of the print. But the three stooped figures are still visible. Hiroshige's eye for detail - look at the snow covered backs of the figures for instance - emphasise their suffering and slow movement through the harsh elements. They have been battered by nature, literally stooping under its weight. The only break in the snow is made by these figures and their tiny footprints. The crunch of fatigued feet is almost audible to the viewer as the figures make slow progress up and down this landscape. Hiroshige's use of a blue coat for the figure heading down the slope serves to highlight the sprinkles of snow on their back. None of the figures are recognisable, their faces covered, allowing the viewer to further empathise wi