The Great Wave Off Kanagawa Japanese Masterpiece

It is hard to imagine that the eruption of distant Mount Tambora inspired and influenced the work of many artists and yet is was clearly evident in art and literature across the

Japan’s literati paintings where inspired by China, which was only connected with Japan through Korea. One of the most famous painters of this style was Yosa Buson, using poetic ability with both haiku and his paintings. (Kleiner 1075) These changes soon led to the availability of cheap prints and ukiyo-e to depict the delights of the city. One of the most famous ukiyo-e printmakers was Suzuki Harunobu who influenced the development of polychrome prints. These prints were very sumptuous and colorful and called nishiki-e (“brocade pictures”). These prints were made of the best quality materials and costly pigments and were not very common in the Edo period. Harunobu’s genius in his work is well shown in the Evening Bell at the Clock (Fig. 34-1). This print was based on a Chinese series where the images depicted a certain time of day or time of year in the work. In Harunobu’s version, the subjects were beautiful young women and their activities in their daily lives. The two women in the pint are seen from a regular Japanese elevated point of view, with one drying herself and the other looking away at a clock. Private scenes like this were very common in ukiyo-e. Before Harunobu’s Evening Bell at the Clock, this theme was not a regular subject seen in ukiyo-e, but soon became a common sight. These prints used flatness and rich colors to

“The Great Wave: Hokusai” by Donald Finkel is a poem written about “The Great Wave Off Kanagawa”, an artwork produced from 1831 to 1833 by Katsushika Hokusai during the Edo period. The “The Great Wave Off Kanagawa” is just one of "The Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji". This woodblock print portrays a tremendous tsunami overpowering small man-powered boats, along with Mount Fuji in the background. The compelling contrast between the turbulent waves and light colored sky draws the viewer’s eyes to the central figure of Mount Fuji, which was considered a sacred symbol of beauty and immortality. In order for Finkel to develop a connection with Hokusai’s work of art, he finds common ground between the world of the artist and the observer. Donald Finkel’s

Around the age of six years old, Hokusai began painting and even spent time as an apprentice wood-carver in his youth. He began the art of print making when he was eighteen. His most famous painting, The Great Wave, can be seen in museums all over the world even though Japan delayed it from catching on worldwide. Many believe that it was painted in the early 1800s, but Japan was not interacting culturally with other countries apart from trade with China and Korea. It wasn’t until 1859 when the Japanese were forced to open their ports that prints of The Wave spread across Europe. Originally, this piece wasn’t viewed as real art by Japanese politicians and art historians. Wood-block printing was used for commercial use and as a popular form of expression. The Japanese government wasn’t too thrilled “that such a seemingly lowbrow art form had come to define them” (15 Things). About five thousand to eight thousand prints were made but it is speculated that only a few hundreds of The Great Wave remain. The painting actually inspired music like Debussy’s La Mer.

The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Hokusai is a famous woodcut print that is commonly referred to as The Great Wave. Hokusai Katsushika was one of the greatest Japanese printmakers of the 19th century. The print, The Great Wave, is a part of a 36-piece series of the views of Japan’s most famous mountain; Mount Fuji. Hokusai’s series was very popular and sold rather quickly. Due to its popularity, Hokusai decided to extend the series to 46 pieces. The original piece was created around 1830 and was published in 1832 by Nishimuraya Yohachi. Within this paper, I will be discussing the analysis of this print while connecting my findings to the elements and principles of design.

Upon walking in, the first piece seen is a new work created by Murakami called, “Transcendent Attacking a Whirlwind” this 59 foot long work is vibrant, richly colored work with dragons, human figures and swirling winds is inspired by a seven paneled painted screen by the same name by Soga Shohaku. These to prints are facing each other on parallel walls, both depicting a similar narrative of a Asian warrior striking at a beast, the strike is so strong it creates and air current that creates giant waves. Murakami expands the narrative adding two new figures a god like figure and a Japanese death demon or Shinigami. This adds more to the overall narrative showing the two new figures creating and destroying the seascape. Overall both

It is estimated that 5000-8000 prints were made during this process, which makes it very valuable. Although prints were one cheap, prints are actually very valuable now. In the print, it is shown that there is a mountain in the background, behind the wave. Which is kinda the whole point of the painting, “the great wave off Kanagawa”. In the print, it shows a wave, but this wave is not a tsunami but called things like “freak wave” or “monster wave”, which makes it nonetheless deadly. In the print, it is shown that there are boats trying to fight the wave, which is confused to be Japanese inspired but that's just its style. It's funny because Japanese politicians don't even view it as Japanese art, which is mostly why Hokusai considered it a failure. Japan even delayed this artwork from being catching on worldwide.

Japan is been always known for their unique artstyle, but none is more influential on both Japanese and western cultural than Katsushika Hokusai. Many consider his paintings the pinnacle of art in the Edo period. The old man of many names is a true part of both japanese and art culture.

Yasumasa Morimura (born in 1951, Japan) has had a career in film-making and conceptual photography for over three decades. Morimura uses costumes, makeup props and digital manipulation to create an almost replica of the original artwork, replacing the original subject with himself. Morimura graduated from the Kyōto City University of Arts in 1978 and then became an assistant at that same university. During his time working he experimented with many mediums and styles including painting, photography and wood-block art. He soon became recognized for his artworks and began to be involved in traveling shows such as ‘Japanese Art After 1945: Scream Against the Sky’ (1994). After some time, and with critics watching skeptically, he began to

One woodblock print was titled The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife made in 1814, and the other titled The Great Wave off Kanagawa from 1830-1833.Both The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife and The Great Wave off Kanagawa share similarities with the indication that the Hokusai had a strong connection with the ocean with both of the paintings taking place and having to do with a marine subject matter. One of the differences in these painting is that while they are both about the ocean, The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife main focus is on the life in the ocean and The Great Wave off Kanagawa main focus is on the ocean

The book I have read was called Wings of Fire: The Lost Heir by Tui. Sutherland. In this book, we are in the land of Phyrria full of giant fire-breathing reptiles with wingspans the size of school busses. From high in the cold, icy mountains to the deep tropical reefs, dragons lurk in every corner. My favorite events in this book are when the main character, Tsunami, a Seawing dragon, finds her home and discovers that she has cold royal blood in her veins. A second event that I love is when the Skywings attack the Summer Palace (the second Seawing empire) and the citizens of the empire flee from underwater in a hurry. Tsunami’s “siblings” help her defend the palace by fighting with the Skywings. Unfortunately, later on, the Summer Palace becomes

Post-war Japanese society is a world where High and Low art is blurred together by otaku, such as anime, and social class. However, Takashi Murakami straddles the line. Murakami spills a mix of Nihanga and Otaku into the canvases, plastic toys, handbags, shoes, etc; endorsing his own theory/style named “Superflat”. Using strategical subject matter such as popular Japanese comic figures combined with ukiyo-e(traditional Japanese block prints), and addressing these contrasting qualities to outside cultures; Murakami intensifies what Pop Art accomplished, art versus material. On other feelings, one could argue that “Superflat” isn’t a unique, Japan-identified style, that “Superflat” is a humiliation to the Contemporary Art world because of its commercialism. Lastly, that is a continuation of the already well developed Pop Art. On the supporting side, Murakami’s “Superflat” is a high-energy, cross-culture style that serves as a new way to represent the high and low of art that is considerably unique to Japan. To support this, Murakami’s past and present artwork will have to be established chronologically to illustrate how the timeline affects his work.

On the date of December 27, 2004 something happened that nobody could have imagined. One of the most devastating earthquake erupted under the ocean as it happened near the Sumatra Island. The earthquake took place 6.2 miles under the water. The earthquake had a high magnitude of 9.0 on a Richter scale which triggered a massive tsunami. Tsunamis are specific in their origins and result from larger earthquakes. The tsunami that was caused by an earthquake had an impact on many people and caused a lot of destruction that had to be fixed. A few minutes after the earthquake, the water rose and the tsunami changed the world forever. (1)

that the surfer use. A longer board allows a to paddle fast enough to catch the wave and is more stable. But it also limits maneuverability and surfing speed.

In March of 2011, a magnitude 9 earthquake hit Japan, releasing a dangerous tsunami. Japan was not expecting the magnitude of the earthquake and tsunami, and endured much hardship after the disaster. The effects of the tsunami can still be seen in Japan today through its residents, economy, and through actions that have been taken to further protect residents from future disasters. Though the Japan 2011 tsunami is one of the most destructive tsunamis ever recorded, dangerous tsunamis continue to take place across the globe. The Japan 2011 tsunami not only affected the inhabitants of Japan, but also affected people around the world. After disasters such as this, each area must endure the aftermath of the disaster and recover from the effects.