Two very rare copies of Katsushika Hokusai's monumental woodblock print, 'Under the Wave off Kanagawa,' popularly known as 'The Great Wave', will be up for auction at Bonhams and Christie's this September.
This is after, as reported by Art News, interest in Hokusai's The Great Wave skyrocketed despite a generally sluggish auction market. "The market for the Hokusai 'Great Wave' print is very, very good right now," said Takaaki Murakami, head of Japanese and Korean Art at Christie's.
A visitor looks at a painting by Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai " The Great Wave off Kanagawa " during the exhibition 'Hokusai, in the footsteps of the master ' at the Ara Pacis Museum in Rome, on October 11, 2017. (Photo : ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP via Getty Images)Demand for Hokusai's The Great Wave
Until this upcoming sale, Bonhams last sold a print of Great Wave five years ago. Since then, demand has only increased, with Christie's reporting a record-breaking sale in March 2024, fetching $2.8 million. This result far exceeded the estimate of $500,000 to $700,000.
For Murakami, the best prints of The Great Wave are defined by sharp lines from early use of the woodblock, a subtle pink sky, and minimal exposure to light or moisture. Christie's current offering-estimated at $500,000 to $700,000-comes from a private Japanese collector and should see intense interest next month.
Japanese Art For Sale
Alongside The Great Wave, both auction houses will display different Japanese art. Bonhams will include other prints from Hokusai, among them is his 'White Rain Below the Mountain' series estimated to fetch between $100,000 and $150,000.
Katsushika Hokusai 1760-1849 Thirty-Six Views of Mt. Fuji: White Rain Below the Mountain [Black Fuji] (Photo : Screenshot from Scholten Japanese Art's Official Website)Meanwhile, Christie's will also offer a blue and white porcelain jar from the Joseon dynasty estimated to reach between $350,000 and $400,000, and the original painting by Hokusai, 'Swimming Carp', estimated to sell between $250,000 and $300,000.
These sales are highly anticipated by collectors and enthusiasts, who seldom have a chance to purchase a work by one of Japan's most known artists.