Why Hokusai's famous Great Wave print is actually a collection of 113 unique variations.
In short: The Great Wave is not a single static image but a series of thousands of impressions. This video explains how researchers track the degradation of woodblocks to sequence existing prints, revealing the hidden history behind one of the world's most recognizable artworks.
Scientist Capucine Korenberg identified 113 surviving copies of Hokusai's masterpiece by meticulously documenting wear patterns on the original keyblock. As the woodblock was used repeatedly, it suffered physical degradation, leaving distinct markers that allow researchers to determine the chronological order of individual prints.
While only 113 copies are currently identified, scholars estimate that as many as 8,000 impressions were originally produced and circulated. This research transforms our understanding of the print from a singular icon into a evolving record of the woodblock's lifespan.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Hokusai’s 'The Great Wave' (and the differences between all 111 of them) | Woodblock Printing
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