Katsushika Hokusai: The Great Wave off Kanagawa (Under the Wave off Kanagawa)

The Great Wave off Kanagawa Created in 1832, Hokusai's iconic woodblock print captures the dramatic power of nature with a towering wave that seemingly threatens Mount Fuji in the distant background—a brilliant compositional reversal that made the sacred mountain appear small and vulnerable. Part of his celebrated series "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji," this print exemplifies the ukiyo-e tradition of Japanese art, which flourished during the Edo period and depicted scenes of everyday life, landscapes, and kabuki theater. The work became enormously influential on Western artists decades later, profoundly shaping Impressionism and Art Nouveau while remaining one of the most recognizable images in art history.