This Painting Is More Disturbing Than You Think. Here’s Why.

This piece is called The Great Wave, also known as Under The Wave Off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai. You’ve probably seen it more times than you can count, but you might discover that you’ve been looking at it wrong the all along. It seems so calm and serene. But if we look a little closer, it begins to look a lot less free-spirited and fun-loving. Why? Because of the 3 boats full of fishermen below the Great Wave, desperately trying to save themselves from being SWALLOWED WHOLE by the turbulent waters.

Hokusai created this iconic woodblock print around the year 1830, a time when Japan had basically been isolated from the rest of the world for about 200 years. During this isolation, Japanese people saw waves as a symbol of safety from foreign invasion, as the sea surrounding the island was rough which made it almost impossible to cross. But in this depiction, the water no longer looks protective but instead aggressive and I think that’s because Hokusai knew the tide was about to turn.

The rest of the world wasn’t a fan of Japan’s isolation. They wanted a piece of Japan’s prosperity pie, so they took it. In 1853, an armed US Navy ship sailed to the island and demanded they trade freely with the rest of the world. And just like that, Japan begrudgingly opened its doors.

The Great Wave took the world by storm. It had this unique allure because it struck the perfect balance of being exotic, while also seeming familiar to the European eye, particularly because of the use of Prussian blue. I hope this video helped you see this famous artwork in a new light! Thanks for watching!

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