Japanese art is backed by a rich and unique history. The art comes in several forms: pottery, calligraphy, architecture, painting, bronzes, sculpture and other fine visual arts (Lane 73).The art is influenced by the dominant techniques and styles that were exclusive to the Japanese artists. For several centuries, Japan was isolated from the rest of the world. This was not only because of its geographical location but also because of the dominant Japanese cultural inclination towards isolation. In its isolation, the art and culture of Japan developed separately from the rest of the world. This is evident in the unique painting practices of the Japanese artists. Over the years, as Japan embraced foreign influence, the artists became influenced by Chinese art and later by Western traditions. During the pre-war period that lasted from 1868 to 1945, the Japanese paintings were strongly influenced by European romanticism and Impressionism. During this period, the European art movements were equally influenced by Japanese art; an influence referred to as Japonism (Lane 117). The history of Japanese art can be well understood as a synthesis of a variety of traditions that contribute to the recognizable aesthetics in Japanese art. The aesthetics of Japanese art was particularly influenced by the Buddhist art and painting technique as well as the religious paintings. One of the most recognized Japanese art is the painting: The Great wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai. This painting is often referred to as the face of Japanese art. Over the years, it has garnered worldwide acclamation and remains to be the most recognized of all Japanese artwork.
The Great Wave off Kanagawa is a woodblock print by the master of ukiyo-e Hokusai. The painting was published between 1829 and 1833 as the first print of the Thirty Six views of Mount Fuji, a series of art depicting Mount Fuji in Japan (Dudley, Serrano and Dias 161). The series depicted Mount Fuji from various distances and angles. The painting is one of the most recognized Japanese work of art and the most famous art by the painter. Hokusai is considered one of the most internationally acclaimed artists of Asian origin and his painting the Great wave off Kanagawa is to a large extent the face of Japanese art throughout the world. His works had a great influence on impressionist and post-impressionist painters like Monet, Renoir, and Van Gogh.
The image depicts a huge wave towering above boats off the coastal town of Kanagawa. While some scholars have debated on the possibility of the wave being a tsunami, the wave appears to be an enormous rogue wave (Cartwright and Nakamura 131). As in other prints in the series, the painting depicts an area surrounding Mount Fuji. The mountain appears at the distant background and is easily noticeable. The painting composition comprises three main elements; three boats, the sea whipped up by what appears to be a storm and a mountain in the background. On the upper left-hand corner is the signature of the painter.
Relationship to the Art
The Great Wave off Kanagawa is powerful painting that I find particularly unique and intriguing. The painting which almost resembles a perfect photograph of a wave at the verge of collapsing exposes the realities that fishermen go through as they try to make a living off the fish in the sea (KATO and OTA 3). The realistic nature of the painting and the precise details reveals a simple but powerful reality of the dangers that lurk in nature. In my opinion, this picture depicts the reality that nature can be both beneficial and hazardous. Despite the fishermen getting their livelihood from the sea, they have to put up with the potential risk of storms at any time of the day. With a rogue wave this enormous, the fishermen will be lucky to have their fish after the wave hits. The expression of reality covered by the tension in this painting makes it stand out from amongst other pieces of Japanese works of art.
Analysis (Objects to Focus on)
The mountain
Mount Fuji is a symbol of national identity and beauty. The mountain is considered a sacred monumental natural resource and an iconic figure in the representation of iconic Japanese places (Dudley, Sarano and Dias 158). Around the snow-peaked mountain is a dark color that indicates the painting as done early in the morning at sunrise with the sun illuminating the mountain's peak.
Boats
The three oshikuri-bune boats are transporting liv fish from the Boso and Izu peninsulas to the market at the bay of the seas, Edo. The boats are in Kanagawa with Mount Fiji to the northwest, Tokyo to the east and Sagami bay to the south. They are headed towards their capital at the bay. Each boat appears to have eight rowers clinging to their oars. At the front of the boat are two passengers such that the total number of the figures in the painting is 30.
Sea and waves
Dominating the pictorial composition is the seas. It ascends as a wave at the verge of breaking. The big wave which looks like claws forms a circle around the center of the design, giving a glimpse of Mount Fiji in the background. The painting is a deification of the sea by a painter who lived with the religious terror of the overwhelming ocean that surrounded his country completely. The painter appears to be awed by the leap of the ocean towards the sky and its claw-like crest as it threatens to overpower the fishermen's efforts to stay afloat on their boats.
The sea is a realistic presentation of the realities that fishermen had to go through while taking their fish back to the bay. Additionally, it represents the overpowering force of the sea, and the significance attached to it by the residents of Kanagawa (KATO and OTA 8). The sea is not just a normal, natural feature, but an entity that needs to be revered. Tension is created in the picture by the inevitable breaking of the wave. The fishermen all seem to duck down to escape the fury of the two oncoming wave. The tension is however overcome by the confidence of the fishermen. It appears they have faced similar circumstances before.
Signature
The painting has to inscriptions. At the top left corner, a rectangular cartouche highlights the name of the series which translates as Thirty-six Views of Mount Fiji/Beneath the wave/Offshore from Kanagawa. On the left is an inscription of the artist's signature. The artists Hokusai, used more than 30 names during his career, always beginning a new circle with a name change and allowing his students to use previous versions of his name. In this particular artwork, he uses the name Iitsu hitsu. The change of names can be attributed to the spontaneity of the artist. Just like he worked on different artistic projects, he wanted to leave a different impression every time he produced a masterpiece. It appears that he wanted to be remembered differently with each painting series he embarked on (Goodyear 105).
Technique
In the woodblock printing technique used in this picture, the artist's final sketch is taken to a block carver who glues the ashi paper where the painting appears to a block of wood then carefully carved curves it away from the relief of the images lines. During the process, the panting is lost. Eventually, a printer uses the necessary blocks to put the printing paper on each block and rub the back with a hand tool. Before the block wear put several impressions can be produced. In this sense, the final work is a result of the collaboration of a painter and the artist.
This particular design uses few different color blocks. In the painting, the boats are yellow; the water has three shades of blue and the sky behind Mount Fiji has a darker shade of grey. At the top of the image are pink clouds that show the sun is already up despite the waging storm in the sea.
In conclusion, the Great Wave off Kanagawa is not an ordinary painting. It is a symbol of Japan, its natural features and the significance attached to these features. While aimed to portray Mount Fuji, the painting captures the tension in the sea between the fishermen and the forces of nature. The preciseness of the situation which almost appears like a photograph than a painting takes into account the suspense of the wave, towering up and against the fishermen's efforts.