Last week, the Bavarian State Library announced in a press release that it has gained an important attraction. One of the most famous motifs in the world, the color woodcut Under the Wave in the Sea off Kanagawa - usually just called The Great Wave off Kanagawa - by the Japanese ukiyo-e master Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) has become part of its collection. The painting is part of the series 36 Views of Mount Fuji, which Hokusai made between 1830 and 1836. The Great Wave off Kanagawa was created in 1830-32 and has since become a worldwide icon.
Related: Ukiyo-e: The Art of Japan
"And another success for the Bavarian State Library: with the acquisition of the 'Great Wave' by Katsushika Hokusai, the impressive Japanese collection grows by another jewel," said Bavaria's Minister of Art Markus Blume. "I am very pleased that we have succeeded in bringing this top-class print to Bavaria. Munich is one of the few places in Germany whose collections possess such gems by this world-famous master."
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The Japanese collection of the Bavarian State Library comprises 90,000 printed volumes, 100 manuscripts and 900 broadsides, many of them rare. The Great Wave off Kanagawa will be one of the highlights of the library's annual exhibition planned for 2025 dedicated to Japanese woodblock prints.
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The acquired copy is an early, exceptionally well-preserved print of Hokusai's most famous work, which was purchased from a private collection. The exact sum was not disclosed, but it is said to be in the lower seven-figure range. The record prices achieved in recent years for early copies of the Great Wave on the auction market may serve as a guide: $1.59 million in 2021 and $2.76 million in March this year.
