The Great Wave off Kanagawa

Japanese art · waves · printmaking · Hokusai

A massive wave. The print shows an enormous wave with a spiral crest that towers over three fishing boats, making the boats look impossibly tiny. The wave's shape is so dramatic it seems like it might crash down and swallow everything.

Mount Fuji in back. Even though this print is called 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa,' Mount Fuji sits small and peaceful in the far background. Hokusai made the huge wave the main star while the famous mountain becomes just a tiny triangle beyond it.

Woodblock printing. Hokusai created this as a woodblock print, which means he carved the image into wooden blocks, inked them, and pressed paper on top. This technique let him make many copies of the same beautiful image.

Made in the 1830s. Hokusai created this masterpiece in late 1831 when he was already in his 70s, during Japan's Edo period. It became one of the most famous Japanese artworks in the entire world.