Katshushika+Hokusai



Katshushika Hokusai

Kastshushika Hokusai was born in October of 1760 and died on April 18th 1849.

He was making art during the Edo art period. The Edo period was when Japan was forced to stay in its borders. People were not allowed to have anything that was outside Japan including food, books, languages, etc.

The painting of The Great Wave Off Kanagawa was made in-between the years 1830-1832.

Hokusai’s painting of the wave was made in Japan during one of its darkest, times the edo period.

Hokusai was born in Japan and his art was made in Japan.

Hokusai made the great wave due to a few reasons. Hokusai loved to paint things that involved water. He also would paint things with water for some reason. He also wanted to be different. The Japanese did not appreciate nature and Hokusai did. The Japanese also would not have painted fishermen who were the lowest class of Japanese citizens. So overall, he made this painting mainly to be different. This painting was also part of the 36 Views of Mount Fuji project, which he made.

Did you know The Great Wave off Kanagawa has Mount Fuji in the background?

I chose this project because the painting had tons of different ideas to it. By that, I mean that I could’ve done. I could’ve been surfing, being a fishermen, been in the clouds, or sitting on waves and on Mt Fuji. The steps I used for fitting myself in the painting were simple. I examined the painting and then quickly said to myself, I can sit on the waves. After that, it was just a matter of putting it in.