Explore Hokusai’s innovation and influence through the centuries.
Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) is one of the most famous Japanese artists in history, thanks largely to his instantly recognizable print known familiarly as The Great Wave. Hokusai: Waves of Inspiration features work from his own expansive and versatile career as well as objects in many different media by the generations of artists that he inspired.
The Story of Hokusai
Hokusai began painting at an early age. At 19, he joined the studio of Katsukawa Shunshō, where he mastered ukiyo-e, a school of woodblock prints, paintings, and illustrated books embodying urban popular culture. Building on this base, Hokusai expanded the focus of the traditional subjects of ukiyo-e throughout his seven-decade career. Waves of Inspiration features roughly 100 works of art by Hokusai himself, highlighting the breadth of subjects the artist tackled — including actors, landscapes, still life, supernatural legends and tales, and wildlife.
Katsushika Hokusai (Japanese, 1760–1849) Rainstorm beneath the Summit (Sanka haku‑u), from the series Thirty‑six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) about 1830–31 (Tenpō 1–2). Woodblock print (nishiki‑e); ink and color on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
The Great Wave comes crashing
Hokusai’s print Under the Wave off Kanagawa (about 1830–31), commonly known as The Great Wave, has endured as one of the world’s most celebrated and recognizable works of art. The print series that included the Wave, titled Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, was a huge hit in its time and influenced artists across the world posthumously. Waves of Inspiration explores the print’s legacy, including Hokusai’s own variations, early homages, contemporary references and remixes, and even a LEGO® recreation by certified master builder Jumpei Mitsui.
Katsushika Hokusai (Japanese, 1760–1849). Under the Wave off Kanagawa (Kanagawa‑oki nami‑ura), also known as the Great Wave, from the series Thirty‑six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei), about 1830–1831, Tenpō Era (1830–1844). Woodblock print (nishiki‑e), ink and color on paper, 9 15/16 × 14 13/16 inches. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, William Sturgis Bigelow Collection. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
A lasting influence
Waves of Inspiration immerses guests in the vast ocean of Hokusai’s influence, showcasing roughly 200 additional works by the artist’s teachers, family, students, rivals, and worldwide admirers. The exhibition traces Hokusai’s artistry to unexpected places across time, place, and medium and shows how he defined, reinvented, and elevated every art form he engaged with.
Jumpei Mitsui (Japanese, born 1987). The Great Wave built by Jumpei Mitsui with LEGO® Bricks, 2020. LEGO® bricks, 50 × 60 inches (127 × 152.4 cm). Image Courtesy of Jumpei Mitsui.
Organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Generous support in Kansas City provided by: Paul DeBruce and Linda Woodsmall-DeBruce, Shirley Barnett Helzberg, Sara and Bill Morgan, Susan Chambers, Nancy and Rick Green, Neil Karbank and Gretchen Calhoun, and JE Dunn Construction.
SLIDESHOW IMAGE CREDITS
Katsushika Hokusai (Japanese, 1760–1849). Peonies and Butterfly, from an untitled series known as Large Flowers, about 1833–1834, Tenpō Era (1830–1844). Woodblock print (nishiki‑e), ink and color on paper, 10 3/8 × 15 3/8 inches. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, William Sturgis Bigelow Collection. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Katsushika Hokusai (Japanese, 1760–1849). Watanabe no Gengo Tsuna and Inokuma Nyūdō Raiun, from an untitled series of warriors in combat, about 1833–1835, Tenpō Era (1830–1844). Woodblock print (nishiki‑e), ink and color on paper, 14 3/4 × 10 7/16 inches. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, William Sturgis Bigelow Collection. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Katsushika Hokusai (Japanese, 1760–1849). The Mansion of the Plates (Sara yashiki), from the series One Hundred Ghost Stories (Hyaku monogatari), about 1831–1832, Tenpō Era (1830–1844). Woodblock print (nishiki‑e), ink and color on paper, 10 3/4 × 7 5/8 inches. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, William Sturgis Bigelow Collection. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Katsushika Ōi (Japanese, active about 1818–1854). Three Women Playing Musical Instruments, Bunsei (1818–1830). Tenpō (1830–1844) Eras. Hanging scroll, ink and color on silk, 18 5/16 × 26 9/16 inches. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, William Sturgis Bigelow Collection. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Christiane Baumgartner (German, born 1967). The Wave, 2017. Woodcut on Kozo paper, 59 × 83 inches. Private Collection, New York. © 2024 Christiane Baumgartner/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn. Image Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Programs
Summer Teacher Workshop: Catch the Wave
This workshop will give educators the opportunity to immerse themselves in Hokusai’s work and try out student-friendly activities that connect the exhibition to themes in art, social studies, science, and language arts.
Monday, July 15 | 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Lens 2 | $20
Register >