Hokusai’s 'The Great Wave' (and the differences between all 111 of them) | Woodblock Printing

Summary

Capucine Korenberg, a scientist at the British Museum, delves into the fascinating story behind Hokusai's 'The Great Wave'. Through extensive research, she explores the print’s history, its numerous editions, and the complex process of its creation. Korenberg discusses the wear and tear on the woodblocks used to produce the prints and how these changes help determine their age. Her scientific approach, including advanced imaging techniques, has led to a new understanding of the print's evolution, revealing unexpected findings about its colors and craftsmanship. Her work offers a fresh perspective on a beloved piece of art, highlighting the delicate interplay of history, art, and science.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Great Wave was not a single print but one of thousands of impressions produced during the Edo period in Japan.
• 😀 At least 8,000 prints of The Great Wave were made, and they were sold for the price of a meal, making them affordable for many people at the time.
• 😀 Woodblocks used to print The Great Wave were made from mountain cherry wood, which was recycled once prints were no longer in demand, making it difficult to preserve the original blocks.
• 😀 The printing process involved multiple woodblocks, including a keyblock for the outlines and color blocks for different shades, with each block being used until it wore out.
• 😀 Capucine Korenberg, a scientist at the British Museum, studied The Great Wave’s lightfastness and became deeply involved in researching its printing process and chronology.
• 😀 The prints were not numbered or dated, so identifying their edition required examining the wear on the woodblocks and other small details in the prints.
• 😀 Scientific techniques like multispectral imaging were used to detect color fading, revealing that certain details, like clouds in the sky, had faded over time.
• 😀 Korenberg found discrepancies in Roger Keyes' research, which had identified 21 states of woodblock wear. She concluded there were only eight distinct states of the print.
• 😀 The variations in prints were often due to changes in the woodblocks, such as replacing or re-carving color blocks, which sometimes resulted in differences in the final print, like missing yellow on boats.
• 😀 Korenberg’s work helped clarify the dating of The Great Wave prints, distinguishing early impressions from later ones, and contributing to the preservation of the historical context behind the artwork.

Q & A

What was the main focus of Capucine Korenberg's research on 'The Great Wave'?

Capucine Korenberg's research focused on studying the chronology and details of 'The Great Wave' prints, particularly their woodblock wear, lightfastness, and variations in different impressions to better understand how the prints were made and how they have aged over time.

Why were there so many prints of 'The Great Wave' created?

'The Great Wave' was a very successful print in Japan, and Japanese prints were affordable at the time, often costing the same amount as a double helping of soba noodles. This affordability allowed many people to buy their own copies, leading to thousands of prints being produced.

What makes identifying early and late editions of 'The Great Wave' difficult?

Identifying early and late editions of 'The Great Wave' is challenging because the prints were not numbered or dated. The only way to distinguish between editions is by closely examining the wear on the woodblocks and other subtle differences in the prints.

How did Capucine Korenberg's background as a scientist influence her research on 'The Great Wave'?

Capucine Korenberg’s scientific background allowed her to apply non-destructive techniques like multispectral imaging and high magnification to study the prints. These methods helped reveal details about the aging of the prints, the colorants used, and the wear on the woodblocks that were not visible to the naked eye.

What is multispectral imaging, and how was it used in the study of 'The Great Wave'?

Multispectral imaging involves exposing a print to various types of light, including ultraviolet and infrared light, to see how different colorants absorb or reflect this light. This technique was used to reveal faded details, such as the clouds in the sky, that were no longer visible under normal light.

What did Capucine Korenberg discover about the clouds in 'The Great Wave' print?

Korenberg discovered that clouds that were originally part of the print had faded over time. By using ultraviolet light, she was able to detect remnants of the clouds, which had disappeared from visible light due to fading colorants.

Why did the woodblocks used for printing 'The Great Wave' eventually deteriorate?

The woodblocks were made from mountain cherry trees, which were not durable enough to withstand long-term use. When demand for the prints decreased, the woodblocks were recycled to make new designs, leading to gradual wear and deterioration of the original blocks used for 'The Great Wave'.

What role did Dave Bull play in Capucine Korenberg’s research on 'The Great Wave'?

Dave Bull, a woodblock printer based in Tokyo, became an important part of Korenberg's research. He recreated his own version of 'The Great Wave' and noticed small differences between prints, suggesting the possibility that different sets of woodblocks were used for various impressions. His insights prompted further investigation into the variations between prints in the British Museum's collection.

What did Capucine Korenberg conclude about the number of states of woodblock wear in 'The Great Wave'?

Korenberg concluded that there are only eight states of woodblock wear in 'The Great Wave', rather than the 21 states identified by Roger Keyes. She identified several inconsistencies in the previous research, such as the changes in the cartouche design, which she attributed to variations in the printing process, not different states of woodblock wear.

What significant discovery did Capucine Korenberg make about the yellow woodblock used in later editions of 'The Great Wave'?

Korenberg discovered that in later editions of 'The Great Wave', the yellow woodblock was re-carved, but in some cases, parts of the boat were missing the yellow color entirely. This suggested that the yellow woodblock had been replaced with a less accurate version, possibly due to financial difficulties or poor-quality carving.