I was sorry to learn of the tsunami and earthquakes in Japan of Thursday, so closely following the one in New Zealand. It prompted me to look for this famous picture that I didn’t even know the full name of. In its most simple form its title is The Wave but it is really The Great Wave off Kanagawa (神奈川沖浪裏, Kanagawa Oki Nami Ura, lit. “Under a Wave off Kanagawa”).
From Wikipedia : It is a woodblock print by the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai. An example of ukiyo-e art, it was published sometime between 1830 and 1833 (during the Edo Period) as the first in Hokusai’s series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei (富嶽三十六景?)), and is his most famous work – probably one of the most recognized works of Japanese art in the world.
Click the picture to enlarge it and then check out Mount Fuji in the distance and the boatsmen in the foreground. We are so small against these forces of nature.
