Isabella Flores
The Great Wave off Kanagawa, also known as Under the Wave off Kanagawa in Japanese, is a woodblock print created by the Japanese artist Hokusai in the early 1830s. It is considered one of the most famous artworks in Japanese history and has been described as the most reproduced image in the history of art. The print is part of a series called Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji and depicts three boats navigating a stormy sea, with a large wave forming a spiral in the centre and Mount Fuji visible in the background. The Great Wave is renowned for its synthesis of traditional Japanese prints and European graphical perspective, and its use of Prussian blue pigment.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Artist | Katsushika Hokusai |
| Other Names | Under the Wave off Kanagawa, Kanagawa oki nami ura |
| Medium | Woodblock print, Woodcut print |
| Date | 1830-1833, specifically 1831 by some accounts |
| Dimensions | 10 1/8 x 14 15/16 in. (25.7 x 37.9 cm), 39cm x 26cm according to another source |
| Series | Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) |
| Colour | Prussian Blue |
| Subject | Three boats moving through a storm-tossed sea, with a large, cresting wave in the centre and Mount Fuji in the background |
| Style | Ukiyo-e, a Japanese printmaking technique that flourished in the 17th through 19th centuries |
| Influence | The work influenced several Western artists and musicians, including Claude Debussy, Vincent van Gogh, and Claude Monet |
| Symbolism | The wave and Mount Fuji represent the unpredictability of life, with the wave symbolising the irresistible force of nature and human weakness, and Mount Fuji symbolising stillness and eternity |
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What You'll Learn
The artist: Katsushika Hokusai
Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) was a Japanese artist, ukiyo-e painter, and printmaker of the Edo period. He is best known for his woodblock print series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, which includes the internationally iconic print, The Great Wave off Kanagawa, created in the 1820s or 1830-33. The print 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 use of Prussian blue revolutionized Japanese prints.
Hokusai was born in the Katsushika district of Edo (now Tokyo), Japan, and began painting around the age of six. At the age of 18, he entered the studio of Katsukawa Shunshō, an artist of ukiyo-e, a style of woodblock prints and paintings. After a year, Hokusai's name changed for the first time when he was dubbed Shunro by his master. Throughout his life, he used many different names—at least thirty—which is common among Japanese artists of the time. However, his number of pseudonyms exceeds that of any other major Japanese artist. Each name change often signalled a shift in artistic style and intended audience.
Hokusai's Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji series established the popularity of landscape prints, which continues today. The series was created as a response to a domestic travel boom and as part of the artist's personal obsession with Mount Fuji. It was this series, specifically the Great Wave print and Fuji in Clear Weather, that secured Hokusai's fame both within Japan and overseas.
Hokusai's work has influenced several Western artists and musicians, including Claude Debussy, Vincent van Gogh, and Claude Monet. Hokusai's younger colleagues, Hiroshige and Kuniyoshi, were inspired to make their own wave-centric works.
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The series: Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji
"The Great Wave off Kanagawa", also known as "Under the Wave off Kanagawa" in Japanese (Kanagawa oki nami ura), is a woodblock print by Japanese ukiyo-e artist Hokusai. It is the first in his series "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji" (Fugaku sanjūrokkei). The series was begun in 1830 when the artist was 70 years old and was produced until 1832. It is considered a masterpiece of Japanese woodblock prints and established the popularity of landscape prints which continues to this day.
The series depicts Mount Fuji from different locations and in various seasons and weather conditions. Mount Fuji is the protagonist in each scene, sometimes as the central subject and at other times as a subtle element in the background. The use of Prussian blue, or Berlin blue, revolutionized Japanese prints and is featured in many of the compositions in the colour of the sky and water. The series was an immediate success in Japan and later in Europe, where Hokusai's art inspired works by the Impressionists.
"The Great Wave off Kanagawa" is the most famous image from the series and is often considered the most recognizable work of Japanese art in the world. 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 composition of "The Great Wave" is a synthesis of traditional Japanese prints and the use of graphical perspective developed in Europe. The print is Hokusai's best-known work and has been described as ""possibly the most reproduced image in the history of all art".
Other notable works from the series include "Fine Wind, Clear Morning", also known as "Red Fuji", "Thunderstorm Beneath the Summit", and "Kajikazawa in Kai Province". There are fewer than 10 complete sets of the "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji", with prominent pieces held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MFA Boston, the British Museum, and the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
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The technique: Woodblock printmaking
"The Great Wave off Kanagawa", also known as "Under the Wave off Kanagawa", is a Japanese woodblock print created by the artist Katsushika Hokusai. It depicts three boats navigating turbulent waters, with a large wave forming a spiral in the centre, and Mount Fuji visible in the background. This famous artwork was created in the early 1830s during the Edo period and is considered the most renowned piece from Hokusai's series "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji".
Woodblock printing, or block printing, is a traditional technique for printing text, images, or patterns. It originated in China, with the earliest evidence of its use dating back to before 220 AD, when it was employed to print on textiles. By the 7th century, during the Tang dynasty, woodblock printing was commonly used for printing on paper, particularly for illustrating and printing Buddhist texts. The technique then spread across Eurasia, reaching Europe by 1000 AD, and was widely used for book illustrations in the 15th century.
The process of woodblock printmaking involves carving a wooden block to leave behind specific areas and lines at the original level. Ink is then applied to these remaining sections, and the block is pressed onto paper or textiles, creating a printed image. This form of printing is known as a relief printing process, and the term woodcut is used in Europe when referring to printing images on paper.
Ukiyo-e, which translates as "pictures of the floating world", is the best-known type of Japanese woodblock art print. It flourished from the 17th to the 19th centuries and featured a diverse range of subjects, including landscapes, historical tales, and sumo wrestlers. Suzuki Harunobu played a significant role in the development of Japanese woodblock printing by introducing the multicolour woodblock printing technique known as nishiki-e.
Woodblock printing was a prominent technique in East Asian and European art throughout the Middle Ages, but its popularity declined with the advent of technologies like the printing press and other printing methods such as screen printing and lithography. However, it continues to be a popular DIY project for artists who appreciate its unique aesthetic qualities.
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The colour: Prussian blue
The colour Prussian blue is a key feature of the Japanese woodblock print "The Great Wave off Kanagawa", created by the artist Hokusai in the early 1830s. The pigment, a recent invention at the time, is a vivid, intense blue with acidic undertones. It was imported from England via China and had not been used in Japanese prints before. The wave depicted in the print is described as an enormous monster, about to crash down on the boats in the foreground. The Prussian blue pigment enhances the wave's power and energy.
Hokusai's use of Prussian blue was innovative and helped to establish the popularity of the colour in Japanese prints. The artist's liberal application of this new, affordable pigment in "The Great Wave" and other works from the series "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji" attracted the attention of the public and other artists. The colour's impact is particularly notable given the size of the print, which measures only 39cm by 26cm.
The wave's depiction in Prussian blue is a notable departure from the traditional use of indigo blue. This new shade of blue is said to have contributed to the print's popularity and its influence on Western artists. The success of "The Great Wave" and other works by Hokusai, such as "Kaijo no Fuji", which also features the colour Prussian blue, led to a wave of interest in Japanese art and culture in the West during the 19th century. This period became known as "Japanism" and influenced Impressionist artists such as Van Gogh and Monet.
The choice of Prussian blue for the wave also carries symbolic significance. The colour's intensity and the way it dominates the print reflect the power of nature and the vulnerability of human beings in the face of natural forces. The wave, depicted in Prussian blue, becomes a symbol of unpredictability and change, contrasting with the stillness and eternity of Mount Fuji in the background.
The use of Prussian blue in "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" is, therefore, not only aesthetically pleasing but also plays a crucial role in conveying the artist's message and contributing to the overall impact and influence of the work.
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The influence: On Western artists
The Great Wave off Kanagawa, a woodblock print by Japanese artist Hokusai, has been described as "possibly the most reproduced image in the history of all art". The artwork has had a profound influence on many Western artists, musicians, and writers.
Claude Debussy
The French composer Claude Debussy was inspired by The Great Wave off Kanagawa, which he kept a copy of in his studio. During his work on La Mer, he asked for the image to be used on the cover of the original 1905 score. The stylistic parallels between Hokusai's Great Wave and Debussy's La Mer are well-known.
Vincent van Gogh
The Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh was also influenced by Hokusai's work. Van Gogh was known to collect Japanese prints, and his work incorporates many of the elements that characterise Hokusai's style, including the use of flat colours and liberation from traditional rules.
Claude Monet
The Great Wave off Kanagawa was a source of inspiration for Impressionist painter Claude Monet, who owned nearly 230 Japanese prints. Monet's work reflects the influence of Hokusai's style, particularly in his use of tight, off-centre framings and creative colour choices.
William Pye
The sculptor William Pye created a work called "Kanagawa", which was inspired by Hokusai's Great Wave. Pye's sculpture captures the immense power of nature as manifested in the great waves of the sea.
Rainer Maria Rilke
The Great Wave off Kanagawa also extended its influence to literature, inspiring Rainer Maria Rilke's Der Berg.
Indigenous Australian artist Lin Onus
The artist Lin Onus used The Great Wave off Kanagawa as the basis for his 1992 painting "Michael and I are just slipping down to the pub for a minute".
Kuniyoshi and Hiroshige
Hokusai's younger colleagues, Kuniyoshi and Hiroshige, were inspired by The Great Wave to create their own wave-centric works. Hiroshige paid homage to The Great Wave with his print "The Sea off Satta in Suruga Province".
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Frequently asked questions
The name of the famous Japanese wave painting is 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa'.
'The Great Wave off Kanagawa' was painted by the Japanese artist Hokusai Katsushika (1760-1849).
'The Great Wave off Kanagawa' is a woodblock print, also known as a woodcut print.
'The Great Wave off Kanagawa' is considered one of the most famous artworks in Japanese history and has been described as "the most reproduced image in the history of all art". The painting is notable for its synthesis of traditional Japanese prints and European graphical perspective, and its use of Prussian blue pigment.
