The 1830s artwork known as the Great Wave of Kanagawa, which has been the
subject of numerous interpretations, has captivated people all around the world.
Japanese artist Hokusai created the famous "Great Wave" which shows the waves
devouring three little boats in front of Mount Fuji. Japan's coastline and Mount
Fuji are visible in the distance. But, art frequently conveys more than what we
can see, and this painting has been exposed to numerous interpretations for a
long time. Let’s dive deep into Hokusai’s Great Wave.
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| image by WikiImages/ Pixabay |
“The Great Wave ''
originated from the Boso Peninsula's shire, an area renowned for its stormy
seas. The tallest mountain in Japan, Mount Fuji, has long been revered in their
tradition. It is frequently claimed that Hokusai's desire in creating this
series was motivated by his own personal obsession with the mountain. The
artwork is mostly a product of Hokusai's imagination, despite similarities to
actual landscapes like the sea and mountains. There is no precise historical
evidence that connects this creative concept to a tidal wave.
It is a woodblock
artwork rather than a traditional Japanese print. It is a multicoloured
woodblock print that was created on paper using ink and colour. Mount Fuji is
framed in the composition by the method Hokusai constructed. The white top of
the large wave creates a diagonal line that draws the viewer's eye directly to
the pinnacle of the mountain, while the curves of the wave and hull of one boat
dip down just low enough to allow the base of Mount Fuji to be viewed.
Although
being a creative painting, some elements of realism are there. Hokusai found
Western prints that came to Japan by way of Dutch trade. Hokusai developed an
interest in linear perspective from Dutch art. Hokusai later developed a
Japanese variation of linear perspective. Several painters were further
influenced by this picture to create prints in a variation of Hokusai's style.
Hokusai's artwork in the late 19th century came to represent the Japanese
influence that also affected Vincent Van Gogh's creations.
What makes ‘The Great Wave’ iconic?
Work that is open to various interpretations by art admirers is usually regarded
to be iconic, since it tends to produce an interest and emotion and most
crucially curiosity among the public. The portrayal of Japan is one of the most
frequently recognised interpretations of this work. Japan had shut off its
connection to the outside world in 1639 by closing its borders. Western culture
was prohibited, foreigners were exiled, and entering or leaving Japan was
punishable by death. In 1830, Hokusai created The Great Wave of Kanagawa. At the
time, the rest of the world was industrialising, and the Japanese were worried
about invasions from abroad and the effects of ending their seclusion. Therefore
the wave hitting the boats was seen as the invasion that was feared by Japan.
The calamity in Japan in 2011 was also discussed using the painting, and
occasionally, media individuals made direct claims that Hokusai's woodblock
print depicted the tsunami. The picture has also been used as a symbol for
hurricanes, plane crashes into the sea, and other natural disasters in addition
to tsunamis. It's the result of Waves' unpredictability. They emerge for a brief
moment before disappearing, and our sole interaction with them is throughout
this process. Hokusai, whose career spanned six decades, from the 1790s until
his death in 1849, was able to correctly portray waves in all of their variety.
He returned to the subject again and time again.
The "Great Wave" has acquired a
variety of contradictory interpretations that its inventor may not have even
considered. But the purpose of art is to provoke thought and produce fresh
perspectives. Hokusai's Big Wave is still regarded as classic by all art
enthusiasts for this reason.