The Great Wave off Kanagawa
The Great Wave off Kanagawa is a famous Japanese woodblock print by Katsushika Hokusai, created in the early 1830s.
The Great Wave off Kanagawa is a famous Japanese woodblock print by Katsushika Hokusai, created in the early 1830s. It is the best-known image from Hokusai’s Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji series and depicts a large wave threatening boats with Mount Fuji in the background. The print’s original Japanese title is Kanagawa oki nami ura, which translates to Under the Wave off Kanagawa.
Background and title
The print is commonly known as The Great Wave off Kanagawa, but its original Japanese title is Kanagawa oki nami ura, meaning Under the Wave off Kanagawa. It was created by Katsushika Hokusai, a prominent ukiyo-e artist of the Edo period.
Composition
The image shows a towering wave curling over three fishing boats, with Mount Fuji visible in the distance. Art sources describe it as a landscape print that frames the mountain from the sea, emphasizing the power of nature.
Place in Hokusai’s series
The print is the first in Hokusai’s series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji. The series presents Mount Fuji from various viewpoints, and this image became its most famous example.
Reception and influence
The Great Wave off Kanagawa became internationally famous and is one of the most widely recognized images in Japanese art. It was widely reproduced in books, posters, and popular culture, and it influenced European and American artists after Japanese prints reached the West in the 19th century.
Key facts
- The print’s original title is Under the Wave off Kanagawa.
- It is the first print in Hokusai’s Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji series.
- It depicts three fishing boats in rough water with Mount Fuji in the background.
- It was created using colour woodblock printing during the Edo period.
- It became a global icon and influenced Western art.
The print is widely studied and exhibited in Canadian art and museum contexts as a major work of Japanese art, and it is familiar to Canadian audiences through reproductions, design, and art history education.
Frequently asked questions
Who made The Great Wave off Kanagawa?
What is the print’s real title?
When was it created?
What does the image show?
What art style is it?
Why is it famous?
References
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art — https://www.metmuseum.org/essays/hokusai-great-waveSupports: Identifies The Great Wave as a global icon and part of Hokusai’s Mount Fuji series.
- Art Institute of Chicago — https://www.artic.edu/articles/1139/10-things-to-know-about-the-great-waveSupports: States the original title, explains the series context, and notes its cultural significance.
- Art Institute of Chicago — https://www.artic.edu/artworks/24645/under-the-wave-off-kanagawa-kanagawa-oki-nami-ura-also-known-as-the-great-wave-from-the-series-thirty-six-views-of-mount-fuji-fugaku-sanjurokkeiSupports: Provides the artwork title, series, and description of Mount Fuji beneath the wave.
- BBC — https://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/MAPlqOEHRsmI1awIHQzRSQSupports: Describes the subject, date, series, and later Western reception of the print.
- United States Geological Survey — https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/hokusai-under-wave-kanagawaSupports: Gives the title, alternate name, series, artist, and date range.
- Getty — https://www.getty.edu/news/why-the-iconic-great-wave-swept-the-world/Supports: Describes the artwork's depiction and its broad symbolic afterlife.