This is an automated service that I run which keeps track of the various original impressions of Hokusai's "Great Wave" around the world. They are woodblock prints which means there are multiple...
This is an automated service that I run which keeps track of the various original impressions of Hokusai's "Great Wave" around the world. They are woodblock prints which means there are multiple originals, rather than just one. Some institutions have multiple impressions and rotate them so they have one on view more often, or can have it on view for longer periods (swapping it out part way through the duration).
Anyway, you can use this website/rss to find out where you can see the Great Wave ...today!
Oh man, I've read multiple times that it was a woodblock printing but somehow it never really sunk in. I've been thinking of it as an ink painting this whole time. It's hard to imagine that you...
Oh man, I've read multiple times that it was a woodblock printing but somehow it never really sunk in. I've been thinking of it as an ink painting this whole time. It's hard to imagine that you could make something that looks that good by carving a block of wood. That really speaks to how talented Hokusai was.
It's even more complicated than that. Hokusai "only" drew/painted a template. Then a team of wood carvers took over to carve a number of wooden "key blocks", one for each colour in the image....
It's even more complicated than that. Hokusai "only" drew/painted a template. Then a team of wood carvers took over to carve a number of wooden "key blocks", one for each colour in the image. During carving the original template is destroyed. Then the blocks are inked and printed one after another onto the paper. They'd produce hundreds of copies, priced cheaply about the cost of a meal. Eventually the blocks wore out and had to be repaired or remade, which is why later impressions are slightly different than the originals.
Check out David Bull's youtube channel - he is a woodblock printmaker who lives in Tokyo and does a lot of interesting videos about the artform. He has whole series on making a copy of the Great...
Check out David Bull's youtube channel - he is a woodblock printmaker who lives in Tokyo and does a lot of interesting videos about the artform. He has whole series on making a copy of the Great Wave starting here and goes into a lot of details and research on the subject - it's a pretty interesting rabbit hole.
If you're ever in Japan and around Ryōgoku, I highly recommend the Sumida Hokusai Museum. It has two permanent galleries: one of Hokusais work and another of his life. It also has a rotating...
If you're ever in Japan and around Ryōgoku, I highly recommend the Sumida Hokusai Museum. It has two permanent galleries: one of Hokusais work and another of his life. It also has a rotating gallery, which was showing bird themed ukio-e paintings when I went in March.
Also if you go at the right time of year there'll be a sumo tournament at the budokan right next door!
The copy possessed by the British museum wasn't on display when I was there about five years ago, and according to their website still isn't on display.
The copy possessed by the British museum wasn't on display when I was there about five years ago, and according to their website still isn't on display.
The British Museum have three! One was recently loaned to a Japanese museum, and three other two were on display in 2021 (half the exhibition duration for each). They're on display roughly every 4...
The British Museum have three! One was recently loaned to a Japanese museum, and three other two were on display in 2021 (half the exhibition duration for each). They're on display roughly every 4 years so probably 2025 at the earliest.
There are a couple more in the UK - Bristol and Maidstone - but neither expected to come out for a while yet.
This is an automated service that I run which keeps track of the various original impressions of Hokusai's "Great Wave" around the world. They are woodblock prints which means there are multiple originals, rather than just one. Some institutions have multiple impressions and rotate them so they have one on view more often, or can have it on view for longer periods (swapping it out part way through the duration).
Anyway, you can use this website/rss to find out where you can see the Great Wave ...today!
Oh man, I've read multiple times that it was a woodblock printing but somehow it never really sunk in. I've been thinking of it as an ink painting this whole time. It's hard to imagine that you could make something that looks that good by carving a block of wood. That really speaks to how talented Hokusai was.
It's even more complicated than that. Hokusai "only" drew/painted a template. Then a team of wood carvers took over to carve a number of wooden "key blocks", one for each colour in the image. During carving the original template is destroyed. Then the blocks are inked and printed one after another onto the paper. They'd produce hundreds of copies, priced cheaply about the cost of a meal. Eventually the blocks wore out and had to be repaired or remade, which is why later impressions are slightly different than the originals.
Check out David Bull's youtube channel - he is a woodblock printmaker who lives in Tokyo and does a lot of interesting videos about the artform. He has whole series on making a copy of the Great Wave starting here and goes into a lot of details and research on the subject - it's a pretty interesting rabbit hole.
If you're ever in Japan and around Ryōgoku, I highly recommend the Sumida Hokusai Museum. It has two permanent galleries: one of Hokusais work and another of his life. It also has a rotating gallery, which was showing bird themed ukio-e paintings when I went in March.
Also if you go at the right time of year there'll be a sumo tournament at the budokan right next door!
The copy possessed by the British museum wasn't on display when I was there about five years ago, and according to their website still isn't on display.
The British Museum have three! One was recently loaned to a Japanese museum, and three other two were on display in 2021 (half the exhibition duration for each). They're on display roughly every 4 years so probably 2025 at the earliest.
There are a couple more in the UK - Bristol and Maidstone - but neither expected to come out for a while yet.