In 2023, which Hokusai print sold for a record $2.76 million at Christie's?

In 2023, Hokusai’s Under the Wave off Kanagawa sold for a record $2.76 million at Christie’s. The print is more commonly known in English as The Great Wave off Kanagawa.

The image is part of Katsushika Hokusai’s Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, designed around 1830–1832. It shows three fragile boats caught beneath a towering, claw-like wave, while Mount Fuji appears small and calm in the distance. Hokusai’s composition combines a violent instant with the enduring presence of Japan’s sacred mountain.

The Christie’s impression sold in New York on March 21, 2023, for $2,760,000, far above its estimate. Auction prices vary greatly because impressions differ in printing quality, color freshness, condition, rarity, and provenance. “Under the Wave off Kanagawa” is a direct rendering of the Japanese title Kanagawa oki nami ura; “The Great Wave” is the familiar shorthand, not a different print.