Hokusai may have wished to depict a fear of and respect for the ocean with this play on perspective. Mount Fuji holds religious/sacred significance in Japan. The Great Wave is best thought of as a large, rogue wave or perhaps as a mythical event, a "yarn" told by sailors.The wave is about to hit the boats as if it were a huge monster, which seems to symbolize the indescribable strength of nature and the weakness of human beings. In the print, the japanese painter conceived the big wave and the distant Mount Fuji in terms of geometric language.1830-1832, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, USA. In his print Under the Wave off Kanagawa, Hokusai used the principles of perspective and pushed Mount Fuji into the distance. The perspective could signify a window on the world, understood metaphorically as a larger “opening” of Japan.
What does The Great Wave show : The print depicts three boats moving through a storm-tossed sea, with a large, cresting wave forming a spiral in the centre and Mount Fuji visible in the background.
What inspired The Great Wave off Kanagawa
From the Dutch artwork Hokusai became interested in linear perspective. Subsequently, Hokusai created a Japanese variant of linear perspective. The influence of Dutch art can also be seen in the use of a low horizon line and the distinctive European color, Prussian blue.
Why do people love The Great Wave : “Many people view the painting as the very essence of Japanese culture,” Atsuko Okuda, chief curator of the Sumida Hokusai Museum in Japan, told CNN's Dan Tham and Junko Ogura in 2019. “The simple and powerful composition of the mountain and the shape of the wave strikes right at the heart of the observer.”
A prefecture in Japan, its capital is Yokohama.
The Met's Great Wave was probably one of the earliest impressions of the work to be printed. The quality of its line and the vibrancy of its colors remind us that Hokusai was only one of the artists involved in its creation, although he is the only one whose name we know.
What inspired the Great Wave off Kanagawa
From the Dutch artwork Hokusai became interested in linear perspective. Subsequently, Hokusai created a Japanese variant of linear perspective. The influence of Dutch art can also be seen in the use of a low horizon line and the distinctive European color, Prussian blue.Elements of Design such as Pattern, Emphasis and Proportion are evident in the artwork. The use of repeating colours (as seen in the blue of the ocean) creates a pattern from dark to light. The wave is enormous to ensure that it dominates the composition increasing the sense of impending doom.Historically, the constant cycle of waves has signified tranquility as well as powerful ferocity and resilience – the endless ebb and flow of water along the shore is a permanent reminder of both the passing of time as well as the dangerous power of the ocean.
It's a print series, not a painting.
Though Hokusai was also a painter, the artist—who worked during the Edo period (1603-1868 in Japan)—was best known for his woodblock prints. The Great Wave off Kanagawa has become the most famous of his series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji.
Is The Great Wave a masterpiece : The Great Wave off Kanagawa is one of the most iconic pieces of Japanese art history. Take a closer look for details on Hokusai's printed masterpiece.
What is a fun fact about The Great Wave : The Great Wave uses a blue pigment imported from Prussia, but it was actually painted between 1830-32 during Sakoku, a period of time when Japan was secluded from the rest of the world.
What is Kanagawa known for
Kanagawa is characterized by the mountains, rivers, and sea that are within it, as well as for being close to Japan's most popular city, Tokyo. One of it's most well-known cities, Yokohama, is the main site for Kanagawa's business and economy relations, and it is also the capital city.
Kanagawa Prefecture was the political and economic center of Japan during the Kamakura period when Kamakura was the de facto capital and largest city of Japan as the seat of the Kamakura shogunate from 1185 to 1333.Ocean waves are very important for weather forecasting and climate modelling as well as for coastal communities, shipping routes and offshore industry.
What is a fact about The Great Wave : The Great Wave uses a blue pigment imported from Prussia, but it was actually painted between 1830-32 during Sakoku, a period of time when Japan was secluded from the rest of the world.