Hokusai’s 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa' is perhaps the most famous work of Japanese art in the world. Created around 1831, it is a woodblock print from the series 'Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji.' The print belongs to the 'ukiyo-e' genre, which translates to 'pictures of the floating world.' Ukiyo-e art typically focused on the hedonistic lifestyles of the urban population, but Hokusai’s series revolutionized the genre by making landscapes the primary subject. A notable feature of the print is the use of 'Prussian Blue,' a synthetic pigment that had just become affordable in Japan, giving the wave its vibrant, deep hue. The composition is famous for its dynamic use of line and the way it makes the massive wave appear as if it is about to crash onto the boats, with Mount Fuji standing small and stable in the background. Hokusai’s work had a massive influence on Western Impressionists like Monet and Van Gogh when Japanese trade opened to the world in the mid-19th century.