The Great Wave off Kanagawa

The most famous work of Japanese art worldwide, this woodblock print opens Hokusai’s series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (c. 1830–1832). A colossal wave rears over three oshiokuri-bune fishing boats while Fuji, the true subject of the series, sits small and serene on the horizon. Thousands of impressions were struck from the blocks; surviving examples are held by major museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the British Museum.