Katsushika Hokusai’s genius is evident in his sophisticated technique, his mastery of composition and understanding of the natural world. His work The Great Wave off Kanagawa (Kanagawa oki nami ura) was the culmination of his 30-year-long preoccupation with the theme of the wave. The drama of the scene with its thrilling composition and elegant stylisation is unsurpassed. In this work of art, Hokusai blends tradition and innovation, combining the age-old Japanese woodblock printing technique with Prussian blue, a pigment imported from Germany and scarcely available in Japan at the time. With its remarkable intensity of colour, this new fade-resistant blue significantly enhances the dramatic effect of the waves.