Katsushika The Great Wave Analysis
The world of art can be a hard and an unforgiving place to express oneself. If an artist is lucky enough, he or she, will create a piece that will be viewed for millenniums after it is created. One of the greatest things an artist can achieve, is to create an artwork that will leave the world with a way to remember them and somehow have an impactful representation or message. Many artists have come and gone with or without recognition, but one artist who was lucky to find the spot light was the artist, Hokusai Katsushika. Hokusai is the artist who created The Great Wave. It is his best known work and he is consisted to be one of the greatest Japanese artists. Hokusai Katsushika was born in 1760 and died in the year 1849. The Great Wave is actually not a Japanese painting, but it is a woodblock
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print. A woodblock print is made by carving a design into a piece of wood. Then the raised parts of the wood are covered in ink and pressed upon paper. Woodblock prints needed a block print for every different color in the image. It is very impressive how vibrant the colors are and how many different colors are present in the great wave considering the way they were made. The beautiful Great Wave was created sometime around 1831, and is part of a series of woodblock prints called the Thirty-six Views of Mount Fiji (theculturetrip.com). It is believed that he was around 70 when he created this masterpiece. The series was very successful in the market and later Hokusai Katsushika made the series from 36 to 46. Also, The Great Wave was partially inspired from European works. Hokusai Katsushika created his own style of Japanese and European art work. Both of these styles can be seen through the style of the print. For example, the low horizon line and the color used, which is a Prussian blue, a color very popular in in Europe at the time, come together to create a Japanese, European hybrid. Furthermore, the visual elements used are very complimentary to each other. The usage of line focuses the viewer’s eyes on the emphasis of the image. Since it is an image of waves, the lines are curved, but that plays into the effect of the image. The curved lines of the waaves guide eye to the massive crest that is about to crash down on some poor sailors. It also represents a lot of movement and flow. Katsushika uses perspective masterfully by illustrating the great mount Fiji in the background. This iconic mountain seems as if it should be the emphasis of the image, but through perspective it seems as if the wave is a greater and more powerful force. The color pallet used is very limited, but it is understandable because of the process that is used to created woodblock prints. That being said, the colors still are very vibrant and have a nice contrast. The white if the waves combined with the dark blues of the water, can give off a sense of calm and also a sense of emergency. With all of those elements in mind, it is time to take a look into the meaning of this image.
It may seem that Hokusai Katsushika is trying to capture the force of nature, which he does, but I think it means a little more. I think that Katsushika is trying to do two things. First he is representing nature and the sheer force of it. He depicts how unpredictable nature is and why it should be respected. That is shown through the men in the tiny boats and the massive wave that is about to crash upon them. They were caught in a terrible storm and should not underestimate how strong the waves can be. At the same time the fishermen seem to be handling this moment of being crushed by a wave very well. It seems as if they have gone through this before and are coping with the situation. I think this is where the other meaning comes into play. I think this image also illustrates life. Life can be very unpredictable, like the waves, or it can be clear and stable, like Mount Fiji in the background. Also, the fishermen are people trying to cope with life. They are at a rough time in their lives, but they will be able to figure it out and eventually return to stability or Mount
Fiji. The image has a powerful message whether the view sees the message of how powerful nature can be or the message of life. I think this particular uniqueness gives this print an effective way to get its point across. If an average Joe stubbles into this image they don’t need to be artistically minded to see the meaning. It is obvious. Nature is powerful and life can be too, but to learn to cope with all forces in life is essential to a happy life.
print. A woodblock print is made by carving a design into a piece of wood. Then the raised parts of the wood are covered in ink and pressed upon paper. Woodblock prints needed a block print for every different color in the image. It is very impressive how vibrant the colors are and how many different colors are present in the great wave considering the way they were made. The beautiful Great Wave was created sometime around 1831, and is part of a series of woodblock prints called the Thirty-six Views of Mount Fiji (theculturetrip.com). It is believed that he was around 70 when he created this masterpiece. The series was very successful in the market and later Hokusai Katsushika made the series from 36 to 46. Also, The Great Wave was partially inspired from European works. Hokusai Katsushika created his own style of Japanese and European art work. Both of these styles can be seen through the style of the print. For example, the low horizon line and the color used, which is a Prussian blue, a color very popular in in Europe at the time, come together to create a Japanese, European hybrid. Furthermore, the visual elements used are very complimentary to each other. The usage of line focuses the viewer’s eyes on the emphasis of the image. Since it is an image of waves, the lines are curved, but that plays into the effect of the image. The curved lines of the waaves guide eye to the massive crest that is about to crash down on some poor sailors. It also represents a lot of movement and flow. Katsushika uses perspective masterfully by illustrating the great mount Fiji in the background. This iconic mountain seems as if it should be the emphasis of the image, but through perspective it seems as if the wave is a greater and more powerful force. The color pallet used is very limited, but it is understandable because of the process that is used to created woodblock prints. That being said, the colors still are very vibrant and have a nice contrast. The white if the waves combined with the dark blues of the water, can give off a sense of calm and also a sense of emergency. With all of those elements in mind, it is time to take a look into the meaning of this image.
It may seem that Hokusai Katsushika is trying to capture the force of nature, which he does, but I think it means a little more. I think that Katsushika is trying to do two things. First he is representing nature and the sheer force of it. He depicts how unpredictable nature is and why it should be respected. That is shown through the men in the tiny boats and the massive wave that is about to crash upon them. They were caught in a terrible storm and should not underestimate how strong the waves can be. At the same time the fishermen seem to be handling this moment of being crushed by a wave very well. It seems as if they have gone through this before and are coping with the situation. I think this is where the other meaning comes into play. I think this image also illustrates life. Life can be very unpredictable, like the waves, or it can be clear and stable, like Mount Fiji in the background. Also, the fishermen are people trying to cope with life. They are at a rough time in their lives, but they will be able to figure it out and eventually return to stability or Mount
Fiji. The image has a powerful message whether the view sees the message of how powerful nature can be or the message of life. I think this particular uniqueness gives this print an effective way to get its point across. If an average Joe stubbles into this image they don’t need to be artistically minded to see the meaning. It is obvious. Nature is powerful and life can be too, but to learn to cope with all forces in life is essential to a happy life.