The Great Wave off Kanagawa

The Great Wave off Kanagawa is possibly the most reproduced image ever.

Hokusai created this woodblock print in late 1831 during the Edo period.

Three fast barges carry live fish through a stormy sea.

A large cresting wave forms a perfect spiral over the boats.

Mount Fuji sits quietly in the background, painted blue with white highlights.

Each boat holds eight rowers gripping their oars tightly.

Thirty men represented, but only 22 visible.

Boats reference, wave reaches 10 to 12 metres high.

The print measures 25 centimetres by 37 centimetres in landscape format.

Only about 100 prints survived into the 21st century.

The composition blends traditional Japanese prints with European graphical perspective.

Western artists like Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet found inspiration here.

The Great Wave remains a contender for Japan's most famous artwork.