The Great Wave off Kanagawa is a Japanese woodblock print made by the artist Katsushika Hokusai around 1831. It belongs to a print series called Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, and it shows a towering wave curling over small boats while a snow-capped Mount Fuji sits far away on the horizon. Created in the ukiyo-e tradition of Edo-period Japan, it has since become one of the most copied and instantly recognisable images in the world.
What is The Great Wave off Kanagawa?
The full Japanese title is often given as Kanagawa-oki Nami-ura, meaning "Under the Wave off Kanagawa". It is a horizontal woodblock print in the ukiyo-e style, a form of Japanese art whose name translates roughly as "pictures of the floating world". Hokusai designed the image; teams of skilled craftsmen then cut the woodblocks and pulled the printed impressions, which is how prints of this kind were made. Because it was produced as a multiple, original impressions survive in museum collections around the world, including the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
What does the print show?
The composition is built around three main elements working together.
- The great wave. A single immense wave rears up on the left, its crest breaking into claw-like fingers of foam that seem to reach across the whole scene.
- The boats. Beneath the wave are slender fishing boats, known as oshiokuri-bune, with rowers crouched low against the swell. They give the wave its enormous sense of scale.
- Mount Fuji. In the far distance, framed by the curve of the wave, sits the small, calm, snow-topped cone of Mount Fuji. The mountain is the true subject of the wider series, even though the water dominates this particular image.
The print is dominated by deep blues, a palette helped along by Prussian blue, a then-new imported pigment that Japanese printmakers had begun to use. The contrast between the violent foreground and the serene mountain is a large part of why the image stays with people.
When was The Great Wave made, and by whom?
The print was designed by Katsushika Hokusai (1760 to 1849), one of the most celebrated artists of the Edo period. He produced it around 1831, when he was already in his seventies, as part of Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji. That series proved so popular that further designs were later added beyond the original thirty-six. You can explore faithful prints of his work in our collection of Katsushika Hokusai prints.
What is ukiyo-e and the Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji?
Ukiyo-e was a hugely popular form of art in Japan from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century, covering everything from landscapes to portraits of actors. The Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji series shows the sacred mountain from many different places, seasons and angles, treating a single landmark as a thread that runs through everyday life. The Great Wave is simply the most famous view in that set. To see more from this tradition, browse our Japanese woodblock prints.
Why is The Great Wave so famous?
Several things came together to make this one image so enduring.
- A bold, simple composition. The sweeping arc of the wave and the tiny mountain are easy to recognise even at a glance, which helps the image travel well.
- Influence on Western art. When Japanese prints reached Europe in the nineteenth century, they fed a wave of enthusiasm known as Japonisme. Hokusai's work was admired by European artists and is often linked to the broader influence of Japanese prints on Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painters.
- Worldwide familiarity. The design has appeared on countless posters, book covers and everyday objects, and there is even a wave emoji widely understood to nod towards it. Constant copying has turned it into visual shorthand for both Japan and the sea.
How to choose a Great Wave print for your home
Because the composition is long and horizontal, it suits a wall where there is room to read it from left to right, above a bed, sofa or sideboard. The deep blues sit comfortably alongside neutral walls and natural wood. Our prints are produced on 225gsm matt photo paper in sizes from A4 up to A1, available framed or print-only, starting from £19.
Frequently asked questions
Is The Great Wave a painting or a print?
It is a woodblock print, not a painting. Hokusai created the design, and craftsmen carved the blocks and printed the impressions, which is why many original copies exist rather than a single unique artwork.
What mountain is in the background of The Great Wave?
It is Mount Fuji, Japan's highest and most revered mountain. Although the wave fills the foreground, Fuji is the true subject of the wider series the print belongs to.
Where can I see the original Great Wave?
Because it was printed as a multiple, surviving impressions are held in major museums, including the British Museum in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, as well as collections in Japan.
Who painted The Great Wave?
The Great Wave was designed by Katsushika Hokusai, a leading Japanese ukiyo-e artist of the Edo period, around 1831. You can see faithful prints of his work in our Katsushika Hokusai prints and across our wider range of Japanese woodblock prints.
