Art Around the World World Art    

Lesson 1: The Great Wave off Kanagawa

by Katsushika Hokusai

Directions

Study the artwork for one week.

Over the week:

• Examine the artwork.
• Read the synopsis.
• Study the vocabulary words.
• Recite the artist and artwork names.
• Read about the art region or artist.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Discuss the review questions.

Synopsis

In 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa,' Katsushika Hokusai printed a rogue wave looming over men in boats near Kanagawa, Japan. In the background, the serene Mount Fuji watches the life-and-death struggle of the men. 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa' is a woodblock print. Rather than being painted directly upon paper with a brush, the image is carved in relief from wood, similar to a rubber stamp. Ink is applied to the wooden block, and then the block is pressed upon paper. This work falls into an art genre called ukiyo-e, which features images such as beautiful ladies, sumo wrestlers, folk stories, and landscapes.

Vocabulary

Kanagawa: A district on the southern side of Japan.
Rogue Wave: A rare, huge, and unexpected wave that can cause death and destruction. The cause of rogue waves is an area of research.
Mount Fuji: The highest mountain in Japan.
Genre (art): A category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter.
Ukiyo-e: A school of Japanese art depicting subjects from everyday life, dominant in the 17th–19th centuries.

Concepts

1. Katsushika Hokusai was born in 1760 in Edo, Japan (present-day Tokyo). See his self-portrait below.

2. Zoom in and find Hokusai's country of birth on the map of Asia below.

3. Hokusai started painting at age six, perhaps because his father was an artisan who made mirrors. At age 14, he apprenticed with a wood-carver. At age 18, he worked in an art studio where he learned ukiyo-e, but suffered much embarrassment under his master.
4. Hokusai changed his name multiple times over his lifetime. Names included Shunrō, Tawaraya Sōri, Taito, and litsu.
5. Hokusai is best-known for his woodblock print series 'Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji,' which includes his most famous work, 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa.'
6. Hokusai died in 1849 at the age of 88.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Can You Find It?

Find the following in the artwork:

• Mount Fuji
• Boats
• Men
• Rogue Wave
• Mini Waves (Reaching like claws)
• Sea Spray
• Japanese Language Symbols

Activity 2: Narrate the Artwork

• After studying the artwork, narrate the scene shown aloud using your own words.

Activity 3: Complete Vocabulary Activities

• While studying the vocabulary words, point out any you see in the print.
• Define each of the vocabulary words in your own words.

Activity 4: Imagine a New Name

Hokusai changed his name multiple times over his lifetime. His names included Shunrō, Tawaraya Sōri, Taito, and litsu.

If you could pick a new name for yourself, what would it be?

Activity 5: Color the Map   

• Click the crayon above, and complete page 4 of 'Art History Coloring Pages for Second Grade.'

Activity 6: Color the Artist   

• Click the crayon above, and complete page 5 of 'Art History Coloring Pages for Second Grade.'

Activity 7: Color the Artwork   

• Click the crayon above, and complete page 6 of 'Art History Coloring Pages for Second Grade.'

Review

Question 1

Who are the characters in the artwork?

1 / 4

Answer 1

The characters are the men in the boats.

1 / 4

Question 2

What is the setting of the artwork?

2 / 4

Answer 2

The setting is the sea near Kanagawa, Japan.

2 / 4

Question 3

What is happening in the print?

3 / 4

Answer 3

A rogue wave threatens the lives of men in boats.

3 / 4

Question 4

How was this print and other woodblock prints created?

4 / 4

Answer 4

The image is carved in relief out of wood. Ink is applied to the wooden block, and then the block is pressed upon paper.

4 / 4

❮ ❯

1. Who are the characters in the artwork? The characters are the men in the boats.
2. What is the setting of the artwork? The setting is the sea near Kanagawa, Japan.
3. What is happening in the print? A rogue wave threatens the lives of men in boats.
4. How was this print and other woodblock prints created? The image is carved in relief out of wood. Ink is applied to the wooden block, and then the block is pressed upon paper.

References

'Hokusai.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

'The Great Wave off Kanagawa.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

'Woodblock printing.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

'Ukiyo-e.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.