The Japanese masterpiece, "The Great Wave," was created by Katsushika Hokusai, when he was approximately 70 years old. It was part of his popular ukiyo-e series "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji," which was created between 1826 and 1833. The print was made using colour woodblock printing called ukiyo-e. Hokusai ukiyo-e transformed the art form one focused on people, to one that explored landscapes, plants, and animals. Ukiyo-e means "pictures of the floating world" in Japanese. It is a genre of woodblock printing and painting that was popular in Japan from the 17th through 19th centuries. Making woodblock prints was a three-stage process as follows: (1) The artist would paint the design with ink (2) The design would then be carved onto wooden blocks, and finally (3) Colored ink would be applied to the blocks after which sheets of paper could be pressed on them to print the design. Once the blocks were completed, it was easier to make reproductions of the same design. Outline generally what you see happening in the image Hokusai captures a dramatic moment in his artwork by contrasting a giant and turbulent wave in the foreground about to consume three fishing boats, against the small and stable Mt Fuji in the background. The boats tumble in submission to the force of the wave. The tiny fishermen in the boats huddle and cling to the sides, as the cusp of the wave curls its claws down upon them. The sky is eerily pale. The white frost of the wave cap mimics the snow covered top on Mount Fuji. The waves are large, towering, turbulent and menacing. They look powerful and heavy and about to come thundering down to consume the three fishing boats. They are dark blue and curl with shades of lighter blue and extend to white frothy wave tips. They are surrounded by softer sprays of white mist. The power of the waves is captured in the wave caps that look like menacing claws, adding to the impact of the strength and dominant power of the waves