The Great Wave off Kanagawa (神奈川沖浪裏 ” Kanagawa oki nami ura “, literally ” Under a wave on the high seas in Kanagawa “) is probably one of the most reproduced and instantly recognized works of art in the world. And not only that, but it is the best example when it comes to ukiyo-e , or ” images of the floating world ” becoming a synonym for Japanese art.

Also known as “The Great OIa” outside Japan, it is a very famous Japanese print made in the ukiyo-e technique by the painter Katsushika Hokusai , around 1830, during the Edo period of Japanese history. It is one of Hokusai’s best-known prints and is part of his famous series “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji” (富嶽三十六景) with the Great Wave off Kanagawa prints being the first in the series.

The landscape of the print is composed of three elements: the sea agitated by the storm, a mountain (Mount Fuji) and three ships. At the top left is the artist’s signature. Hokusai ‘s dynamic composition is extremely skillful and his technique can be said to be ahead of his time!

Details of the work

Mount Fuji, which can be seen in the distance in the storm, is a solid and immovable Mount Fuji. Mount Fuji, located in the middle of the composition, seems to arbitrate between nature and the people on the boats.

One of the fascinating things about this work is the perceived power of the waves that capture the moment, like claws ready to snap at their prey. The great growth of the waves and the smallness of the humans in the boat show a very interesting contrast, they emphasize the greatness of nature and the smallness of the human being before it.

In the sea it is rough and you can see the real desperation of the people in the rowing boat like there is no tomorrow and get away from the Big Wave! The feeling of falling out of the boat is enhanced by the fact that the ship is descending. If this ship had been drawn in the opposite direction (going to the right) the movement and direction would be inconsistent, and the sense of dynamism would have been greatly diminished.

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You probably knew this famous stamp that represents Japan in many ways, but did you know its history? Tell us in the comments and share this post on your social networks if you think it might interest someone!