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

The Great Wave off Kanagawa Created during Japan's Edo period, Hokusai's iconic print exemplifies *ukiyo-e* (woodblock printing), an art form that celebrated fleeting moments of beauty in the everyday world. Produced around 1832 when the artist was in his seventies, this image became the most recognizable work of Japanese art globally, influencing European artists from the Impressionists onward. The dramatic composition—with a towering wave threatening boats while Mount Fuji shrinks in the distance—masterfully plays with perspective and captures the raw power of nature with stunning economy of line and color.