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The Great Wave off Kanagawa, also known as Under the Wave off Kanagawa, is a woodblock print by the Japanese artist Hokusai Katsushika. It is part of a series called Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, which was extended to 46 designs. The print is 25 cm by 37 cm and depicts three boats facing a large wave with Mount Fuji in the background. The boats are 12 meters long, while the waves are up to 14 meters high. The Great Wave is considered one of the most reproduced images in the history of art and has influenced several Western artists and musicians.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Artist | Hokusai Katsushika |
| Date | 1830-1832 |
| Medium | Woodblock print |
| Dimensions | 25 cm x 37 cm (9.8 in x 14.6 in) or 10 1/8 x 14 15/16 in. (25.7 x 37.9 cm) |
| Location | The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, British Museum in London, BNF and Guimet Museum in Paris, Giverny, and the Metropolitan Museum in New York |
| Influence | Influenced Western artists and musicians including Claude Debussy, Vincent van Gogh, and Claude Monet |
| Reproduction | Reproduced on 1000 yen banknotes, stamps, socks, and other merchandise |
| Interpretation | Depicts fishmongers returning from Tokyo after selling their catch, with Mount Fuji in the background |
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What You'll Learn
The Great Wave off Kanagawa is a woodblock print
The Great Wave off Kanagawa, also known as Under the Wave off Kanagawa, is a woodblock print by Japanese ukiyo-e artist Hokusai. Created in late 1831 during the Edo period, it depicts three boats moving through a storm-tossed sea, with a large, cresting wave forming a spiral in the centre over the boats and Mount Fuji in the background. The print is Hokusai's best-known work and the first in his series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, in which the use of Prussian blue revolutionized Japanese prints.
The Great Wave off Kanagawa is considered an icon of world art and has been described as "possibly the most reproduced image in the history of all art". It is also a contender for the "most famous artwork in Japanese history". The print has influenced several Western artists and musicians, including Claude Debussy, Vincent van Gogh, and Claude Monet. The influence of Japanese art on Western culture became known as Japonisme.
Hokusai's work greatly influenced Japanese landscape painting, which evolved with the works of Hiroshige and Hokusai's indirect student, Toyoharu. Between 1805 and 1810, Hokusai published the series Mirror of Dutch Pictures – Eight Views of Edo. The Great Wave off Kanagawa may not have been as successful in the West if audiences did not have a sense of familiarity with the work. It has been interpreted as a Western play seen through the eyes of a Japanese artist.
The woodblock print measures 25 cm by 37 cm (9.8 inches by 14.6 inches) and the artist's signature is visible in the upper left-hand corner. About 1,000 copies of the print were initially printed, resulting in wear in later editions. It is estimated that approximately 8,000 copies were eventually printed, and as of 2022, about 100 copies are known to survive.
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The work depicts three boats and a mountain
The Great Wave off Kanagawa, also known as Under the Wave off Kanagawa, is a woodblock print by the Japanese artist Hokusai Katsushika. The work depicts three boats and a mountain. The boats are long and slim, and they are occupied by fishermen. In the background, Mount Fuji appears small and calm, untouched by the drama of the sea just a few dozen miles away. The work was created around 1830 and published presumably in 1832. It is part of a series of 36 views of Mount Fuji, Japan's sacred mountain, which was later extended to 46 designs.
The Great Wave off Kanagawa is a landscape-format yoko-e print produced in an ōban size of 25 cm × 37 cm (9.8 in × 14.6 in). The landscape is composed of three elements: a stormy sea, three boats, and a mountain. The work depicts a rather dramatic scene, with a huge wave crashing over the three tiny boats. The fishermen in the boats appear to be in danger of perishing in the sea, but they are probably safe. The wave is up to 14 meters high, while the boats are almost 12 meters long. Each boat has eight rowers, for a total of 24 rowers in all. There is also one or two passengers in each boat.
The Great Wave off Kanagawa has been described as "possibly the most reproduced image in the history of all art" and a contender for the "most famous artwork in Japanese history". The work has influenced several Western artists and musicians, including Claude Debussy, Vincent van Gogh, and Claude Monet. It is present in many collections around the world, including the British Museum in London, the BNF in Paris, and the Metropolitan Museum in New York. The original print was created using traditional Japanese ukiyo-e techniques, with one block carved for each colour.
The Great Wave off Kanagawa is not just a beautiful work of art, but also a testament to the skill and effort required to create traditional Japanese woodblock prints. It is a reminder of the power of the ocean and the importance of the fishing industry in Japan, a nation of thousands of small islands. The work has been reproduced countless times, on everything from socks to emojis, and its iconic silhouette has become a part of popular culture. Despite its widespread reproduction, the original print remains a rare and invaluable work of art.
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The boats are 12 metres long, while the waves are 14 metres high
The Great Wave off Kanagawa, also known as Under the Wave off Kanagawa, is a woodblock print by the Japanese artist Hokusai Katsushika. The artwork, created around 1830, depicts a dramatic scene with a huge wave crashing over three tiny, long, and slim boats filled with fishermen. The boats are 12 metres long, while the waves are 14 metres high. This contrast in size conveys a sense of impending doom, suggesting that the fishermen are about to perish in the sea.
The Great Wave off Kanagawa is considered one of the most reproduced images in the history of art and a contender for the most famous artwork in Japanese history. It has influenced several Western artists and musicians, including Claude Debussy, Vincent van Gogh, and Claude Monet. The artwork is part of a larger series, Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, which depicts Japan's sacred mountain from various perspectives and seasons.
Hokusai Katsushika was a master of the ukiyo-e technique, a Japanese printmaking style that flourished in the 17th to 19th centuries. Ukiyo-e involves carving an image into a woodblock with sharp knives and other tools, inking the raised areas, and pressing the block onto paper to create an image. The term translates to "pictures of the floating world," reflecting the Buddhist concept depicted in the prints.
The Great Wave off Kanagawa is more than just a beautiful image. It captures the tremendous power of the ocean and the fragile existence of those at its mercy. The contrast between the peaceful sky and Mount Fuji in the distance and the raging storm in the foreground adds to the sense of drama and uncertainty. This artwork has stood the test of time, remaining a powerful and iconic symbol of Japanese art and culture.
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The artwork was created by Hokusai Katsushika
Hokusai began painting at the age of six and was sent to work in a bookstore when he was twelve. At sixteen, he became an engraver's apprentice and also started creating his own illustrations. At eighteen, he was accepted as an apprentice to the renowned ukiyo-e artist Katsukawa Shunshō. After Shunshō's death in 1793, Hokusai studied Japanese, Chinese, Dutch, and French art styles independently. In 1800, he published "Famous Views of the Eastern Capital" and "Eight Views of Edo", and began accepting trainees. During this period, he adopted the name "Hokusai", one of over 30 pseudonyms he would use throughout his life.
In 1804, Hokusai rose to prominence when he created a 240-square-metre drawing of a Buddhist monk named Daruma for a festival in Tokyo. He continued to gain fame over the next decade, both for his artwork and his talent for self-promotion. In the early 1830s, he produced the "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji" series, which included "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" and "Red Fuji". This series secured his fame both in Japan and overseas.
"The Great Wave off Kanagawa" depicts fishmongers returning from Tokyo after selling their catch. The artwork shows several boats caught in a storm off the coast of the Kanagawa Prefecture, with waves up to 14 meters high. The boats are almost 12 meters long and carry eight rowers and one or two passengers. The scene is set in the early morning, with the sun rising and illuminating the snow-capped Mount Fuji in the distance. The artwork is a landscape-format yoko-e print, produced in an ōban size of 25 cm × 37 cm.
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It was made in 1830 or 1831
The Great Wave off Kanagawa, or simply The Great Wave, was made in 1830 or 1831. It is a woodblock print, or ukiyo-e print, created by the Japanese artist Hokusai Katsushika. Ukiyo-e is a Japanese printmaking technique that flourished in the 17th through 19th centuries. Artists produced woodblock prints and paintings of various subjects, including female beauties, actors, wrestlers, historical scenes, landscapes, flora and fauna, and erotica.
Hokusai was one of the greatest Japanese printmakers and painters of the 19th century. He began painting at the age of six and became an engraver's apprentice at sixteen. At eighteen, he was accepted as an apprentice to the renowned ukiyo-e artist Katsukawa Shunshō. After Shunshō's death in 1793, Hokusai studied Japanese, Chinese, Dutch, and French artistic styles. In 1800, he published Famous Views of the Eastern Capital and Eight Views of Edo, and he began to accept trainees. It was around this time that he began using the name Hokusai.
The Great Wave was the first design for a series of originally 36 views of Mount Fuji, Japan's sacred mountain. The series was very successful, so it was extended to 46 designs. However, it ended abruptly, and the reason is unknown. The Great Wave depicts a dramatic scene: a huge wave is crashing over three small, long, and slim boats filled with fishermen. Mount Fuji can be seen in the background, appearing small, calm, and untouched by the drama at sea. The work measures 25 cm by 37 cm (9.8 inches by 14.6 inches).
The Great Wave has been described as "possibly the most reproduced image in the history of all art" and a contender for the "most famous artwork in Japanese history". It has influenced several Western artists and musicians, including Claude Debussy, Vincent van Gogh, and Claude Monet. The work is present in many collections around the world, including the British Museum in London, the BNF in Paris, the Guimet Museum in Paris, and the Metropolitan Museum in New York.
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Frequently asked questions
'The Great Wave off Kanagawa' is a Japanese woodblock print created by Hokusai Katsushika, one of the greatest Japanese printmakers and painters of the 19th century. It is part of a series of 36 views of Mount Fuji, Japan's sacred mountain, and was published around 1832.
'The Great Wave off Kanagawa' is considered one of the most famous and reproduced Japanese artworks. It is also one of the first prints to use Prussian blue, a more intense and acidic blue than the traditionally used indigo. The print is a dynamic image with fully saturated blues and extraordinary contrast, depicting a huge wave about to swallow several boats off the coast of the Kanagawa Prefecture.
The wave in 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa' is up to 14 meters high, towering over the boats that are almost 12 meters long.
The exact distance is unknown, but Mount Fuji is peaking out in the background and appears very small and calm, untouched by the drama unfolding in the sea a few dozen miles away.
