Art Comparison Katsushika Hokusai, The Great Wave Off Kanagawa and

Art Comparison: Katsushika Hokusai, The Great Wave Off Kanagawa and Bierstadt, The Rocky Mountains, Lander’s PeakStudent’s Name

Institution of Affiliation

Art is an important depiction of the society in that it is a representation of cultural perceptions. Most of the artworks are painted for fun, but even for these purposes, they are influenced by the various cultures in which they associate. Based on this, different cultures have varying painting skills and subject matter, but even in this perspective, there are some similarities in that they might be influenced by a similar issue. For this assignment, I will analyze two artworks; Katsushika Hokusai, “The Great Wave Off Kanagawa” and Bierstadt, “The Rocky Mountains, Lander’s Peak” comparing and contrasting the various aspects in regard to the subject matter, elements, and principles of design used to make the two paintings.

Albert Bierstadt, “The Rocky Mountains, Lander’s Peak’ is an 1863 landscape on oil painting, of a landscape painting genre and produced during the Hudson River School (Bierstadt, 1863). The painting is based on sketches during his travels with Frederick W. Lander’s Honey Road Survey Party in 1859. It is a depiction of the Lander’s Peak in the Wind River Range of the Rocky Mountains. The painting shows an encampment of Native Americans in the foreground, depicting a scene of authenticity and presenting a timeless place untouched by the Europeans hands. The painting is located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. 

At the bottom of the mountain is a valley in which the Native Americans have set up structures. The people living in this valley rely on water from the mountain to feed their livestock as there is a river flowing down the valley at the center of the painting. Based on the content of the painting, it is indicative that the primary economic activity of the natives is farming and, to be more specific, livestock rearing. The ancient people lived in temporary structures due to their nomadic lifestyle, and this can be seen by the structures set up by the community living in that region. The painting can be inferred to have been completed in the evening due to the glowing golden sunset colors seen in the background, a perfect time to observe the beauty of the Rocky Mountains.    

Katsushika Hokusai, “The Great Wave Off Kanagawa,” on the other hand, is a Japanese woodblock print that was published between 1829 and 1833 in the late Edo period (Hokusai, 1936). The print is the first in the Hokusai’s series “Thirty-six views of mount Fuji.” Besides, it is one of the most famous artworks of Hokusai and often regarded as the most recognizable work of Japanese art across the globe. The print is located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and measures 25.7 cm x 37.8 cm. The print depicts an enormous wave that seems to threaten three boats of the coast in the Sagami Bay. Mount Fuji is seen rising in the background since the primary focus is the wave. The print is assumed to depict a tsunami and more likely to be a rogue wave. 

The composition of the “The Great Wave Off Kanagawa” print comprises three elements that include a mountain, three boats, and the sea whipped up by a storm. Besides, it also consists of a signature at the upper left-hand corner. The mountain in print is Mount Fuji, which is depicted as snow-capped. In Japan, the mountain is considered sacred and a symbol of national identity. Furthermore, it is identified as a symbol of beauty. Based on this, Mount Fuji is, therefore, an iconic figure in many Japanese representations of famous places. The dark color around the mountain is an indication that the scene occurred in the morning, with the sun rising from behind the observer and therefore illuminating the peak of the mountain covered with snow. There are cumulonimbus clouds hanging above the mountain, but there is no rain observed in the foreground, which seems completely cloudless. 

The second element observed in the prints is three boats. They are fast boats that are used in the transportation of live fish from the bay to the markets. As the name is indicative, the boats are located in Kanagawa prefecture with Tokyo to the north and Mt Fuji to the northwest, the bay of Tokyo to the east, and the bay of Sagami to the south. The three boats which are oriented to the south are returning to the capital transporting fish to the markets. There are eight rowers in each of the boats who are seen clinging to their oars. Two more passengers are seen in the front of each boat, and this makes a total of human figures to thirty. Considering the size of the boats, the size of the wave can be estimated to be huge since the boats were generally between 12-15 meters long. Based on this, the wave might be 10-12 meters tall, capable of capsizing the boats. 

The sea and waves are the third element in Katsushika Hokusai, “The Great Wave Off Kanagawa.” The sea is seen to dominate the composition as an extending wave is about to break. The moment captured in this image depicts a wave forming a circle around the center of the design, framing Mount Fuji in the background. The inevitable breaking of the wave creates tension in the print, in that the giant wave has dominated the scene making Mount Fuji appear small, and this must have been threatening to the fishermen as they could capsize at any time. Finally, the print has a signature with two inscriptions. The first inscription is written within a rectangular cartouche in the top-left corner, which is a series of the thirty-six views of Mount Fuji. The second inscription is also to the left, and it is the artist’s signature that is translated as “from the brush of Hokusai” (Harris, 2012).         

Despite the various differences, the two paintings have several things in common. One of the main similarities is that they both focus on the beauty of nature. The Fuji Mountain and the Rocky Mountains are both sceneries of beauty, and in both paintings, they are the center of attraction in that everything in the painting is explained in relation to the mountains. Mountains are also perceived as a source of protection and livelihood, and this as well, is seen in both paintings. In the case of Mount Fuji, it borders the sea, and therefore it acts to bar storms from getting to the mainland. Besides, it also makes the sea attractive to see. The beach around the mountain is rich in fish, and this is the main source of income for the fishermen. On the other hand, a similar concept is applicable to the Rocky Mountains since the mountain serves to shield the natives from attacks and also provides water to the valley. As a result, the mountain provides a conducive environment for settlement and livestock keeping. 

Elements of design have been used in the paintings, and they include line, shape, texture, color, and space. Different lines have been used in the two paintings and include vertical, horizontal, curved, and bold lines. In Katsushika Hokusai, “The Great Wave Off Kanagawa,” curved lines have been used to indicate movement. The flow of water seems to be speedy in that they have risen above the boats. Besides, lines have also been used to indicate edges of the boats and the mountains. Horizontal and vertical lines indicate the divisions within the boats, and this makes the line element, the most used element in the print. On the other hand, Bierstadt, “The Rocky Mountains, Lander’s Peak,” also uses line, although not in great detail. Lines have been used to indicate the curves of the structures and the mountain as well as the vertical position of the trees.

Shape is another element that has been used in the two paintings. Bierstadt’s “The Rocky Mountains, Lander’s Peak” uses shape to indicate the structures used for settlement. The structures are cone-shaped, and this is consistent for all the structures. However, there are lots of irregular shapes, especially those in the mountains and the ridges. Hokusai’s “The Great Wave Off Kanagawa,” the Fuji Mountain as well, is cone-shaped, while the bottom part of the sea is concaved. However, most of the objects in the painting have irregular shapes, and this is indicated by the shape of the wave. A rectangular shape has also been used in the print on the left-hand corner where the artist’s signature is located.

Color helps in telling the mood of the painting. Hokusai’s “The Great Wave Off Kanagawa,” is dominated by white and blue colors, which are indicative of the clouds and the sea. The snow at the peak of the mountain is indicated by white color and the waves as well has been portrayed in white color since it is water under unrest. Blue color has been used to indicate the bottom of the sea, where still water is concentrated. Also, the dark blue color has been used to indicate the cumulonimbus clouds indicating that there is a possibility of rain at any time. The colors used in this print are cool colors. 

Bierstadt’s “The Rocky Mountains, Lander’s Peak” uses color to a great extent. A variety of colors have been used, and blue, white, brown, red, black, and green. Red colors have mostly been used in the animals, white color to indicate water and snow, black in animals and huts. Brown color has been used to indicate the sun’s rays, while green color has been used to indicate vegetation. A large part of the colors used is warm colors. Finally, space has been used in both paintings in that close objects appear huge, such as the waves, while those at a distant are smaller in size, such as the mountains. Also, the sky in both photos has been used to illustrate space.

Balance and emphasis are among the principles of design used in the paintings. Bierstadt’s “The Rocky Mountains, Lander’s Peak” uses emphasis to illustrate the objects being focused, and that is the mountain and the native people who are seen herding their livestock. Emphasis in Hokusai’s “The Great Wave Off Kanagawa,” is indicated by bold colors such as blue to indicate the body of water. Also, size has been used to indicate emphasis. Balance has been achieved in the print, in that elements on both sides have equal weight balance, and this appears in both paintings.

Based on the two paintings, I learned various things about myself in regards to cultural bias. One thing is generalization as both paintings tend to have different subject matter in regards to culture. Hokusai’s “The Great Wave Off Kanagawa,” is based on the sea where the wave is tormenting the fishermen. Based on the print, it is generalizable that the main economic activity in this region is fishing, but this is just an inference since there are people who use boats for fun. On the other hand, Bierstadt’s “The Rocky Mountains, Lander’s Peak” also depicts cattle and temporary structures, and this brought me to an inference that the native people are nomads. Based on the two assumptions, I can say that it may result in cultural bias as there is not enough evidence to back up the claims. In the process of writing the assignment, I was curious about why Hokusai made a series of prints all focused on Mount Fuji.    

References

Bierstadt, A. (1863). The Rocky Mountains, Lander’s Peak. Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Harris, F. (2012). Ukiyo-e: the art of the Japanese print. Tuttle Publishing.

Hokusai, K. (1936). Great Wave Off Kanagawa. Department of Far Eastern Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art.