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 sanjūrokkei)"
Katsushika Hokusai’s much celebrated series, Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjûrokkei), was begun in 1830, when the artist was 70 years old. This tour-de-force series established the popularity of landscape prints, which continues to this day. Perhaps most striking about the series is Hokusai’s copious use of the newly affordable Berlin blue pigment, featured in many of the compositions in the color for the sky and water. Mount Fuji is the protagonist in each scene, viewed from afar or up close, during various weather conditions and seasons, and from all directions. The most famou...
Details
- Palette
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Select a color to find related artworks.
- Medium
- Color woodblock print; oban
- Dimensions
- 25.4 × 37.6 cm (10 × 14 3/4 in.)
- Origin
- Japan
- Department
- Arts of Asia
- Holding institution
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Image provider
- art-institute-chicago
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Credit
- Clarence Buckingham Collection
Art Genome Taxonomy
12 tags
Subject Matter
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Waterscapes Both · 99%
The image is dominated by overlapping waves, and the catalog identifies waves and water as subjects.
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Nautical Both · 99%
Three narrow boats carrying small figures are visible among the waves; the catalog lists sailing and ships as subjects.
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Landscapes Both · 98%
Mount Fuji and distant landforms appear within a broad natural setting, while the catalog identifies the work as part of a series of landscape prints.
Styles and Movements
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Ukiyo-e Both · 87%
The stylized contour drawing, flat color areas, Japanese subject and context, and color woodblock-print format are consistent with ukiyo-e; the supplied catalog does not name the movement explicitly.
Visual Qualities
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Asymmetrical Visual · 95%
The massive foreground wave occupies the left and central areas while open sky and distant Fuji occupy the right and lower center, producing an intentionally uneven visual balance.
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Dynamism Visual · 98%
Sweeping arcs, curling crests, diagonal boats, and repeated directional bands of water create a pronounced sense of force and movement.
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Curvilinear Forms Visual · 96%
The wave crests, foam, and water bands are constructed from numerous rounded and curling contours.
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Patterns Visual · 95%
Repeated foam curls, dotted spray, and recurring bands of blue water form prominent surface patterns.
Medium and Techniques
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Woodcut and Linocut Metadata · 99%
The catalog classifies the object as a color woodblock print.
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Prints Metadata · 99%
The catalog classifies the work as a print and woodblock print.
Time Periods
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19th Century Art Metadata · 99%
The catalog dates the work to 1830/33 and gives a catalog date range of 1826–1836.
Geographic Regions
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Japanese Art Metadata · 99%
The catalog identifies Hokusai as Japanese and gives Japan as the place of origin.
Source & rights
Katsushika Hokusai. 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 sanjūrokkei)". The Art Institute of Chicago.