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| Under the Wave off Kanagowa, Katsushika Hokusai, c. 1830 Also know as The Great Wave off Kanagowa or simply The Great Wave |
Katsushika Hokusai, usually known simply by his last name of Hokusai,was an artist of the Edo Period in Japan. He is best known for his series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, of which Under the Wave off Kanagowa is a part.
Born in 1760 into a family of artisans, during his life he produced over 30,000 images. As was a custom of the period, he was known by at least 30 names during his career. During that career, he was associated with the Katsukawa, Kano and Tawaraya schools of Japanese art.
In 1839, a fire destroyed his studio and many of his works.
Hokusai died in 1849 in Tokyo. A haiku composed shortly before his death reads:
Though as a ghost,
I shall lightly tread,
the summer fields.
That seems like a nice way to spend eternity.
