Beneath the Great Wave: Hokusai, Hiroshige, and ukiyo-e print
What it is
The Whitworth’s first exhibition dedicated to Japanese prints in over 100 years, Beneath the Great Wave presents iconic artworks by Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) and Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858) to explore the evolution of traditional ukiyo-e woodblock prints and paintings.
Showcasing rarely seen prints from the Whitworth collection alongside institutional and private collection loans, Beneath the Great Wave celebrates the enduring cultural impact of its dazzling imagery which continues to shape art, design, animation, and popular culture, from manga and anime to advertising and contemporary fashion.
Translated as ‘Pictures of a Floating World’, ukiyo-eprints were popularised during the Edo period (1615–1868) and reveal Tokyo’s emergence as a city at the cusp of the modern age. Exploring the work of Japan’s most celebrated artists, the exhibition shows how Hokusai and Hiroshige’s landscape prints transformed the genre.
14 March – 16 November 2026
Questions
When does Beneath the Great Wave: Hokusai, Hiroshige, and ukiyo-e print start and end?
Beneath the Great Wave: Hokusai, Hiroshige, and ukiyo-e print runs Monday, 16 November 2026.
Where is Beneath the Great Wave: Hokusai, Hiroshige, and ukiyo-e print?
Beneath the Great Wave: Hokusai, Hiroshige, and ukiyo-e print takes place at The Whitworth, Oxford Road, Manchester, Manchester.
Also at The Whitworth
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The wave, along the road. Mount Fuji: mobility & power from Edo to TokyoThu 12 Nov · The Whitworth - 18:00
The Whitworth After Hours: Autumn previewThu 19 Nov · The Whitworth - 18:30
Film Screening and Q&A: For What We Have to DoThu 26 Nov · The Whitworth - 18:00
Sunil Gupta - I call you my loveThu 3 Dec · The Whitworth
