-Sharika Anjum
Katsushika Hokusai’s - “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” literally swept the world by becoming the most recognized work of Japanese Art in history. This famous work of art inspired people and artists alike from all over the world. In one letter to the famous artist, Vincent Van Gogh, known for the phenomenal painting of “The Starry Night”, being a great admirer of Japanese art said: “These waves are claws, the boat is caught in them, you can feel it.”
The image was originally published between 1829-1833 in the late Edo period (present-day Tokyo). The then 70-year-old Hokusai at that time produced this monumental work of art in the series of his “Thirty-six Views of Mountain Fuji.” He dedicated himself entirely to art which began at the age of six till his death in 1849, portraying scenes ranging from nature to cityscapes in watercolors and woodblock printing. During his early to middle years of his life Hokusai started out as an Ukiyo-e painter; a genre (Ukiyo-e) that flourished from the late 17th century to 19th century which was aimed at upper-class people which showed scenes of courtesans, kabuki actors, sumo wrestlers, scenes from history and folktales and hedonistic lifestyle of people at that time. After getting expelled from Katsukawa School because of his possible study at a rival school Kano, he got motivated to develop his own artistic style from images of courtesans and actors to focus on natural landscapes and the daily lifestyle of Japanese people which was a big breakthrough in Hokusai’s career.
The Great Wave is actually not a tsunami but a huge ‘rogue wave’ or most commonly known as ‘freak waves’ but some people might still argue over what type of wave it is. The wave looks like an enormous monster that is about to strike the boats, this may symbolize the indestructible power of nature compared to the feebleness of human beings.
The image is comprised of three elements. The mountain, the boats, and the waves. The mountain behind the sea is mountain Fuji, which is a national symbol for Japan and is the main feature in the series “Thirty-six Views of Mountain Fuji”. There are three Japanese fast boats used for transporting live fishes on the sea. There are eight rowers and two passengers in front of each boat where they are clinging to it. Using the boat as a reference point the wave must be 33-39 feet tall. Finally, the sea where a humongous wave is about to break dominates the entire composition and frames the snow-capped Mount Fuji at the back. The ‘in your face’ giant wave creates tension in the eye of the audience by creating a sort of ‘yin yang’ (the concept of dualism) with the whiteness of the crest of the wave and the dark blue of the inner side of the wave which puts forward Mount Fuji perfectly.
The Great Wave off Kanagawa is actually not a painting but a woodblock print. Woodblock print is basically a text or image painted on a thin washi (Japanese paper) and then pressed on face down to a close-grained wood. The block is touched up to make it more accurate using ink or oil. The block of wood is then chiseled away according to drawing lines and pressed onto paper to transfer the ink and to make a print. The design only uses few different colors; three shades of rich blue tones for water which Hokusai achieved through a complex process of printmaking, the boats are yellow in color, dark and pale grey for the sky behind Mount Fuji, and pink for soft clouds at the top of the sky which signifies early morning or dawn.
The print surprisingly was not purely Japanese in style as Hokusai was inspired by Dutch and European art styles. It is estimated that the original woodblock printed about 5,000 copies so the earlier the print, the more highly valued it is. Outside Japan, the original impression is in western art museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, British Museum, and National Gallery of Victoria among many other art museums. The highest price paid for it in a public sale is $1,110,000 as of September 2020.
At that time Japan was not culturally open to other countries. Therefore, The Great Wave off Kanagawa rose to popularity nearly after 30 years after Japan was bound to trade with other countries in the west. The work inspired people in many genres of art, particularly the Impressionists. The Apple iOS also displays an emoticon of The Great Wave as a smaller version of the water wave emoticon. The Great Wave off Kanagawa is an emblematic representation of Japanese art and culture throughout the entire world as modern artists have reinterpreted and adapted the image and will keep continuing to do so.
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