In 2009 the British Museum, with the support of the Art Fund, acquired an almost pristine print of Katsushika Hokusai's (1760-1849) 'Under the Wave, off Kanagawa (Kanagawa oki nami-ura)', also known as ‘‘The Great Wave’. The print, which comes from a series known as the 'Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji' (ca. 1826-33), is probably one of the best-known images in the world. 'The Great Wave' is on display in Room 3, and admission is free.
The woodblock was designed by Hokusai in about 1831, and we know for certain that at least 5,000 impressions were made in the 1830s, although the figure may be closer to 8,000, several hundred of which still exist today. The copy now on display is an early print with crisp lines and well-defined colours, and may be one of the finest copies to survive. 'The Great Wave' featured in the BBC Radio 4/British Museum programme 'A History of the World', a series that showcased 100 items from the British Museum collections.
Hokusai's Great Wave
'The Great Wave' pays tribute to the power of the sea in a scene depicting fishermen cowering in skiffs alongside Mount Fuji. The mountain is seemingly dwarfed by the wave, and spray, which resembles snow, falls from the sky onto its peak. Designed when Hokusai was about 70 years of age, the print shows how he was influenced by Western art. The British Museum's installation looks at how Hokusai, in turn, influenced both Japanese and Western art. Many European artists have been keen collectors of Hokusai's works, including Claude Monet and Edgar Degas. Furthermore, the work of numerous European artists, such as Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, has been influenced by this Japanese print master.
Katsushika Hokusai – About the Artist
Katsushika Hokusai, Japanese wood engraver and painter, was born in Edo (now Tokyo). Hokusai learned woodcut printmaking with Katsukawa Shunsho and may also have studied with Kano Yusen, Tsutsumi Torin III, Sumiyoshi Hiroyuki and others. The artist is now acknowledged as the leading 'Ukiyoe' (floating world) artist of the later Edo period.
A prolific artist, Hokusai produced thousands of colour prints and book illustrations. During his 70-year career his style evolved from graceful curves, to spirals, to broken strokes and sombre colouring. At different periods he was known by different names, possibly as many as 30 different pseudonyms. 'The Great Wave' comes from his Iitsu period, and is probably his best-known work.
'Under the Wave' can be viewed in Room 3 until 8th January 2012, and further information is available from the British Museum.
Sources:
- The British Museum
- British Museum's Collection Database (accessed 15th November 2011) provides a more detailed biography of Katsushika Hokusai together with details/images of many of his other works in the British Museum's collections.
Frances Spiegel - Frances Spiegel, B.A. Hons. (Open)., Dip.Eur.Hum., read Art History/European Modern History at the Open University.
