Hokusai's Great Wave

Part of the British Museum’s Objects in Focus range, Hokusai’s Great Wave is a guide to the world famous woodblock print.

The Great Wave Off Kanagawa is a colour woodblock print published by Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai in 1831. The print, of which thousands of copied were made, shows a monstrous wave rearing up ready to crash down upon three fishing boats and their crews. One of a monumental series known as ‘Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji’, Hokusai’s Great Wave has become an iconic image of the power of nature against the relative smallness of man.

One of the most famous pieces of Japanese art, this extraordinary artwork has had a huge impact worldwide, and has served as a source of inspiration to artists past and present. This beautifully illustrated book explores the meaning behind Hokusai’s Great Wave in the context of the ‘Mount Fuji’ series, and Japanese art as a whole. Taking an intimate look at the Wave’s artistic and historical significance and its influence on popular culture, this concise introduction explains why Hokusai’s modern masterpiece had such an impact in the 1830s and which it continues to fascinate, inspire and challenge today.