Created around 1831, this iconic woodblock print depicts an enormous wave threatening boats off the coast of Kanagawa, with Mount Fuji visible in the background.

Part of Hokusai's series "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji," this print was created when the artist was in his seventies. It became one of the most recognizable works of Japanese art and profoundly influenced Western artists.

C.71.bb.4

Wuthering Heights; and Agnes Grey

by Ellis and Acton Bell

Author: Emily Brontë, Anne Brontë, and Charlotte Brontë

1850

Image: From the British Library collection

The Commercial Opportunity

Storytelling Potential:

• The Great Wave represents a perfect fusion of traditional Japanese art and innovative composition. Its influence on Western art, particularly Impressionism and Art Nouveau, cannot be overstated. It remains one of the most reproduced images in art history.

Immersive Concepts:

• Created circa 1831 during the Edo period
• Part of the "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji" series
• Uses Prussian blue, a relatively new pigment at the time
• Influenced Western artists including Monet and Debussy
• Exemplifies the ukiyo-e woodblock printing technique