"The Great Wave off Kanagawa": The Japanese Wave and Its Meaning
It is the most famous work of art from Japan and one of the most beloved seascapes: "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" by Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849). The woodblock print is the first piece in a series of 36 motifs that the Japanese artist created as commissioned works starting in 1830.
The cycle of pictures shows various views of Mount Fujii and its surrounding landscape. However, none of the other motifs in this series reached the same significance as "The Great Wave off Kanagawa". It is believed that more than 8,000 prints were made from the original printing woodblocks. However, only a fraction of these have survived. Less than 200 copies are still believed to exist today.
The reproductions vary in quality regarding colours and image details. Versions of this work can be found in many art institutions worldwide, including the British Museum in London, the National Museum of Tokyo, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the Bavarian State Library in Munich, and the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam.
Katsushika Hokusai: The Master Behind the Great Wave
The creator of this now world-famous woodblock print, Katsushika Hokusai, is regarded today as the most significant representative of the so-called Ukiyo-e. This style was the predominant artistic form of expression in the Japanese Edo period from 1608 to 1868.
Hokusai not only created numerous works himself but also taught the arts of drawing and woodblock printing. However, he did not always work under the same name. He reportedly used over thirty different pseudonyms throughout his career.
Hokusai's most famous work today, originally titled "Under the Wave in the Sea off Kanagawa", is still a worldwide icon in the 21st century. The Japanese wave holds significance across many areas of culture and economy. It has been copied, quoted, and varied countless times. The wave motif has been used in advertising and printed on numerous products. For Japan, "The Great Wave" is still an important advertising medium and ambassador for the country and its culture.
| The Central Bank of Japan honoured the great significance of 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa' in 2024 by making it the motif on the 1,000 yen banknote. |
"The Great Wave off Kanagawa" as One of the Most Important Works of the Edo Period and Ukiyo-e
The artist Katsushika Hokusai created his famous work in 1832, during Japan's Tokugawa shogunate rule. During this period, also known as the "Edo period", the shogunate pursued a strict policy of isolation from large parts of the world, especially the West. Only a few trade representatives from China, Korea and the Netherlands were allowed access to Japan.
Despite, or perhaps due to, the strict protectionism, Japan achieved economic prosperity during this period. However, the political and economic isolation of Japan also influenced the arts. The flourishing economy produced many wealthy merchants. In turn, they became increasingly interested in art and culture. Theatre, music, fashion, literature, and the fine arts experienced an upswing.
| In painting and woodblock printing, Ukiyo-e became the most important style, focusing on the colourful world of festivals, pleasure, and luxury. Artists depicted both the colourful life of the city as well as rural scenes and seascapes. |
Hokusai also practised the art of this style. He was over 60 years old when he received the commission to produce a series of woodblock prints depicting Mount Fujii. Within five years, he created a series of woodblock prints titled "36 Views of Mount Fuji", which showed the landscape around the volcanic. ‘The Great Wave’ shows a view of Mount Fuji from the sea, but this is likely not based on the personal observations of the artist. Rather, the scene was probably the product of his imagination, in which he visualised what a view of the mountain from the sea might look like.
The Great Wave off Kanagawa - Picture Description
According to the title of the work, the picture shows a scene that might have taken place in the bay of Kanagawa Prefecture - which today includes Tokyo. The composition consists mainly of three elements
- waves,
- fishing boats
- and Mount Fujii.
In addition, there are some clouds in the sky, as well as the title and the artist's signature in the upper left corner.
The central motif is the powerful wave, taking up almost half of the woodblock print and towering on the left-hand side of the picture. The foam crests are particularly striking here. These seem to form an army of claws. Some descriptions of "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" suggest seeing ghosts in the spray. While others see skeletons or the silhouette of a dragon. The wave piles up menacingly, seemingly on the verge of crashing down on the three fishing boats below. The fishermen are visibly struggling with the churning sea and trying to prevent their long boats from capsizing.
In the rough swell, however, there is a ray of hope: A corridor in the water reveals a view of the background. This is where Hokusai placed Mount Fujii, which is considered sacred by many Japanese. Hokusai highlighted the mountain in grey colour, making its snow-covered peak shine like a beacon on the horizon.
Tradition and Innovation Combined in Hokusai's Coloured Woodblock Print
Hokusai created "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" using the traditional Japanese technique of colour woodblock printing. In this printing process, the motifs are carved into wooden blocks. The colours are then applied to these printing blocks by hand. Each of the desired colours requires a separate printing block. In the final step, the picture is transferred to paper, creating a graphic print.
Hokusai likely made numerous sketches before the actual woodblock print, which were later used as templates for carving the printing blocks. The colour prints made with the original woodblock measure 25 cm × 37 cm. At least seven colours were used for the colouring: dark blue, light blue, medium blue, light grey, dark grey, beige, and pink. The strong dark blue that Hokusai chose for the depiction of the sea is particularly striking, making it a major innovation. Hokusai was one of the first woodblock print artists to discover Prussian blue for himself.
| Hokusai used "Prussian blue" (also known as "Berlin blue"), which was still largely unknown in Japan at the time. It is a lightfast, particularly strong shade of blue. This pigment was first produced in Germany in the early 18th century and exported to Japan at the turn of the 19th century. |
Hokusai's Woodblock Prints Significantly Influenced European Art in the 19th Century
During Hokusai's lifetime, "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" was a very popular motif in Japan and was reproduced in large numbers. The fact that "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" was important in Hokusai's homeland was also due to the shogun's policy of isolation, which barely allowed any cultural artefacts from other countries.
However, the status that this woodblock print achieved first in Europe and later in the rest of the world was much more remarkable. After the end of Japan's isolation in the 1860s, an exchange of artworks began alongside the economic opening.
| During the process known as "Japonism", many works by Japanese artists were exported to America and Europe. "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" was first publicly exhibited in Paris in 1867. However, it is possible that some prints had already found their way to Europe earlier. |
Numerous famous painters were fascinated by the exotic Japanese art, including Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Egon Schiele, and Gustav Klimt. Claude Monet even built up his own collection of over 250 Japanese works, about 20 of which were by Hokusai.
Other artists also drew inspiration from "The Great Wave". For example, composer Claude Debussy chose the woodblock print as the cover image for the first edition of his score for "La Mer" and sculptor Camille Claudel quoted it unmistakably in her sculpture "The Wave".
Interpretation of "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" - A Work Full of Symbolism
"The Great Wave off Kanagawa" is impressive not only because of its aesthetics, and brilliant technical execution. The picture is also fascinating because of its symbolism and the many possible interpretations. While Hokusai may have been only interested in depicting the beauty of the landscape in his woodblock print series of Mount Fujii, many speculate about deeper meanings.
For example, a widespread interpretation of "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" is that the picture shows the contrast between the different sides of nature: On the one hand, there is the overwhelming beauty of the sea with its rushing waves. On the other hand, there is the untamed power and destruction that can emanate from nature. The woodcut is also often seen as a reminder of the transience of humankind, as the fishermen in their boats are helpless against the forces of nature.
Perhaps the meaning of "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" also lies in the fact that the wave threatens to collapse over Mount Fujii. The endangerment of this cultural and religious icon of Japan could indicate a threat to the country from foreign powers. Ultimately, however, Fujii as a sacred mountain in this picture might symbolise a beacon of hope and stability in difficult times.
In recent times, Hokusai's almost 200-year-old woodblock print has often been referenced and reproduced in connection with the devastating earthquake and tsunami of 2011. Presumably, each subsequent generation will find its own interpretation of this timeless masterpiece.