Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji · Katsushika Hokusai, c. 1830–32
Under the Wave off Kanagawa (The Great Wave)
Why is this wave so blue?
The Work
A great wave breaking like claws over three boats.
Look Closer
Far away, Mount Fuji sits small inside the curve of the wave — vast against tiny, motion against stillness.
The Artist
Hokusai called himself "Old Man Mad About Painting."
The Artist
He painted until nearly ninety, said to have wished for just a few more years to become a true artist.
Edo at the Time
The boats are thought to be fast fish-carriers racing the catch to Edo's markets.
Culture & Values
The deep blue came from imported Prussian blue — a new color that became the rage in Edo.
Meanwhile, in the World
Around then, Chopin was making his debut in Paris as Romantic music came into bloom.
Afterward
In 1905, this wave appeared on the cover of Debussy's score for La Mer.
Listen while you look
This print stays on screen for about ten minutes in the full hour, with Boats Against The Swell and Prussian Blue Tide.
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