The Great Wave off Kanagawa Postcard

The Great Wave off Kanagawa is a woodblock print by the Japanese artist Hokusai. It was published sometime between 1830 and 1833 in the late Edo period as the first print in Hokusai's series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji. It depicts an enormous wave threatening boats off the coast of the prefecture of Kanagawa. As in all the prints in the series, it depicts the area around Mount Fuji under particular conditions, and the mountain itself appears in the background. It is Hokusai's most famous work, and one of the most recognisable works of Japanese art in the world. The composition comprises three main elements: the sea whipped up by a storm, three boats and a mountain. It includes the signature in the upper left corner.