Under the Wave off Kanagawa (The Great Wave)

The Great Wave is one of Katsushika Hokusai's most renowned paintings and is often regarded as the most recognizable work of Japanese art in the world. The print became a best-seller when it was released, with recent estimates of The Great Wave's sales varying from 5,000 to 10,000 prints. The immediate success of the publication led to the inclusion of ten more prints to the "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji" series, as well as the release of the series of three illustrated books "One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji." The sight of enormous rolling waves with like-claw white foams preparing to grab the floating boats on the sea has influenced several European Impressionist artists, including Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin.