What is the meaning of the Great Wave?

Asked by: Chris Mastracci

Since its creation 184 years ago, Katsushika Hokusai’s work, also known as the “Great Wave,” has been mobilized as a symbol of not just tsunamis, but hurricanes and plane crashes into the sea.

What is the message of The Great Wave to you?

The Great Wave has been adapted and interpreted in many ways. This iconic image has generated various emotional experiences, including nationalism, fear, inferiority, nostalgia and helplessness in the face of a greater power than man.

What is the meaning of the painting The Great Wave?

The Great Wave can be taken as a symbolic image of an important change happening to the Japanese society, a change which brings the presence of the foreign influences coming from the uncertainty of the sea and opposed to the firmness and stillness of Mount Fuji, the established symbol for the soul of Japan.

What does the great wave off Kanagawa meaning?

The wave is about to strike the boats as if it were an enormous monster, one which seems to symbolise the irresistible force of nature and the weakness of human beings. In the print, Hokusai conceived the wave and the distant Mount Fuji in terms of geometric language.

What is the primary theme of The Great Wave?

This famous Japanese art Ukiyo-e print has been viewed via its three main subject matters, namely, the undulating and dominating ocean, the three boats, and the view of Mount Fuji far in the distance.

What does the wave symbolize in Japan?

The seigaiha or wave is a pattern of layered concentric circles creating arches, symbolic of waves or water and representing surges of good luck. It can also signify power and resilience.

Why is The Great Wave of Kanagawa important?

The work explores the impact of western culture and the advancement it had on conventional Japan. It gives a time stamp of the situation of Japan transitioning from its old way to a modern Japan.

How is The Great Wave a masterpiece of unity and harmony?

The unity and harmony in this piece is displayed in multiple ways. The shape, flow, colors of the waves all flow together to create a great picture. The boats are also in harmony with movement of the waves. The boats are all shaped, colored, and given the same amount of detail to show unity.

What are the elements of art in The Great Wave?

Elements of Design such as Pattern, Emphasis and Proportion are evident in the artwork. The use of repeating colours (as seen in the blue of the ocean) creates a pattern from dark to light. The wave is enormous to ensure that it dominates the composition increasing the sense of impending doom.

What are the principles of Design in the Great Wave off Kanagawa?

Basic Principles of Design are evident in the art piece which is demonstrated by the curvaceous line of the waves, Sharp lines are used at the tip of the waves where water is about to engulf the helpless fishermen on their boats, which enhance and amplifies the danger of the waves.