Under the Wave off Kanagawa - The Great Wave Canvas Print

In the early nineteenth century, the pigment known as Berlin or Prussian blue (bero) became more widely available and affordable, inspiring a new flourishing of landscape imagery in print design that could make the most of the strong colour. Produced between the late 1820s and early 1830s, Hokusai’s series of prints studying the ancient pilgrimage site of Mount Fuji is among the most celebrated and majestic art of the nineteenth century. Whether the volcano is visually dominant, as in many of the prints, or reduced in scale, as it is here, the series is a virtuoso display of Hokusai’s compositional skill. With its bold linear design, striking juxtapositions, and careful use of colour, The Great Wave is a compelling image of the mountain. Not only do the surging breakers seem to swamp the boaters, but—to the Japanese eye, accustomed to reading from right to left—the great claw of a wave appears almost to tumble into the viewer’s face. Even Mount Fuji appears fragile, about to be engulfed by the uncontrollable energy of the water. This iconic image has been used widely in contemporary designs, ranging from comics and advertisements to book jackets and record covers. Artist: Katsushika Hokusai Title: Under the Wave off Kanagawa (Kanagawa oki nami ura), also known as the Great Wave, from the series "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjurokkei)" Origin: Japan Date: 1826–1836 Medium: Colour woodblock print; oban Inscriptions Signature: Hokusai aratame Iitsu fude Publisher: Nishimura-ya Yohachi Dimensions of original print: 25.4 × 37.6 cm (10 × 14 3/4 in.) Credit Line: Clarence Buckingham Collection Put into the Public Domain by The Art Institute of Chicago