Work
The Great Wave off Kanagawa
Also Known As The Great Wave (shortened English title); Kanagawa oki nami ura (Japanese title)
Prints and Drawings
The Great Wave off Kanagawa The Great Wave off Kanagawa is a woodblock print by the Japanese artist Hokusai, the first and best known image in his series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji. It depicts a towering cresting wave threatening three fishing boats with Mount Fuji visible small in the distance, and, as a traditional woodblock print, it survives today as thousands of individually printed impressions rather than as a single unique object.
Facts
Year Created MediumPolychrome woodblock print (ukiyo-e) on paper 1 Connections
Associated With
The Great Wave off Kanagawa is a defining ukiyo-e woodcut print.
Created By
Source Gardner's Art Through the AgesFred S. Kleiner (after Helen Gardner)
In Form
Source Gardner's Art Through the AgesFred S. Kleiner (after Helen Gardner)
In Movement
Source Ukiyo-e (New World Encyclopedia)
Sources
1. Gardner's Art Through the Ages
Fred S. Kleiner (after Helen Gardner), Cengage Learning- chapter on Japanese art, section on ukiyo-e and Hokusai
Genre reference
The Great Wave off Kanagawa is a woodblock print by the Japanese artist Hokusai, the first and best known image in his series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji.
Ukiyo-e (New World Encyclopedia)
New World EncyclopediaIn Movement: Ukiyo-e, Hokusai sectionQuote, In Movement: Ukiyo-e, Hokusai section
The scene is of a great wave about to devour men and boats, with the distant Mount Fuji minimized by the size of the wave.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.