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

The Great Wave off Kanagawa Created during Japan's Edo period, this iconic woodblock print represents the height of ukiyo-e artistry, a genre that celebrated the beauty of the everyday world and nature. Hokusai's masterpiece revolutionized printmaking through its bold use of Prussian blue—a newly available synthetic pigment that allowed Japanese artists to achieve striking chromatic effects impossible with traditional indigo. The composition's dramatic perspective and dynamic composition influenced Western artists for generations, making this one of the most recognizable images in art history and a testament to the enduring power of Japanese aesthetics.