Society | Mar 20

Hokusai's Masterpiece Series Fetches over $3.5 million

NEW YORK, Mar 20 (News On Japan) - All 46 prints of Hokusai's "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji" were auctioned off at Christie's on Tuesday, fetching over $3.5 million.

The Great Wave off Kanagawa

The series, by the Japanese ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849), showcases Mount Fuji from various perspectives and in different seasons and weather conditions.

It is extremely rare for all pieces to be auctioned simultaneously, and the series was sold for 3,559,000 dollars, approximately 537 million yen. The seller was a former university professor in the United States, and the buyer has not been disclosed.

"The Great Wave off Kanagawa," the most famous print in the series, fetched $2.76 million at a Christie's auction in March 2023.

Hokusai's ukiyo-e prints are known for sparking the "Japonisme" boom in 19th-century Europe and influencing painters such as Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet.

Source: TBS

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