Katsushika Hokusai's The Great Wave

The Great Wave or Under the Wave off Kanagawa is one of the most well known pieces of Japanese Art. It was created by Katsushika Hokusai between 1830-1832 during the Edo period. The Great Wave is a polychrome woodblock print measuring 10 ⅛ x 14 15/16 inches. In this critique, we will analyze Hokusai’s processes and use of design for The Great Wave. It is estimated that Hokusai created 30,000 pieces of art during his lifetime. Many artists changed their names a few times during their career, but Hokusai had at least thirty names that he went by. These name changes usually accompanied an artistic change. He began his artistic career painting designs on mirrors at the age of six in his father’s mirror making shop. He worked as an apprentice

First, the three boats form a pattern of their own. Next, the fishermen on the boat are all clinging to the boat in the exact same way on every boat. Their round white heads with blue outfits form a pattern with their shape and color. Then we have a pattern within the water in multiple areas. One is with the dark blue color forming a stripped pattern with the white of the crest. The second is the dark blue forming a stripped pattern with a lighter shade of blue on the main wave. The third is the curled wave pattern on the crest of the wave. The last pattern is the repetitive dots made by the water splashing. All of these patterns aid in adding unity to the piece.

The Great Wave is a wonderful example of unity. The patterns mentioned above are repeated throughout the entire composition. The colors aid in unity by tying Mount Fuji together with the main wave. The fishermen’s outfit also match the color of the water. The background color used for atmosphere matches the color of the fishermen’s boat. The colors nicely complement each other and tie everything together. The curves used on a large scale and small scale unify the piece so that nothing is unusually