The theme “LEGO Art” always takes LEGO fans on fascinating journeys of discovery. In 2023, a journey into woodcuts awaits us with Katsushika Hokusai's "The Great Wave".
From humble beginnings with Andy Warhol's Marilyn Monroe paintings and superhero mosaics to a massive world map with over 11,000 pieces and finally the introduction of 3D last year with the Rolling Stones, the LEGO Art theme has undergone an interesting evolution.
This all brings us to 2023 with 31208 Hokusai: The Great Wave, a wonderfully sophisticated interpretation of one of the most famous Japanese works of art of all time.
I built this set over the New Year and think it's a great set that finally delivers on the promise and potential of the LEGO Art theme. It's a really good set and I highly recommend buying it. Read on to find out why!
31208 LEGO HOKUSAI: The Great Wave DETAILS
Set name: Hokusai – Great Wave
Set number: 31208
Parts: 1,810 pieces
Price: US$99.99 / AU$169.99 / £89.99 / €99.99 CAD$139.99
Minifigures: N/A
Topic: LEGO Art
Release date: 1 January 2022
Designer: TBD
"The Great Wave" is a famous woodcut by the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai. It is also known as "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" and is one of a series of woodcuts from the "36 Views of Mount Fuji" series. It is one of Hokusai's most famous works and is widely considered a masterpiece of Japanese art.
The Great Wave is famous for its dynamic composition, particularly the way it swaps the perspective of Mount Fuji with that of a looming wave filled with dramatic, claw-like curls and swirls. In addition, there are two boats and their crews who find themselves in a dangerous situation and are forced to face the forces of nature.
The Great Wave is considered a classic example of the Ukiyo-e style, which flourished in Japan during the Edo period (1603-1868), when Japan was isolated from the world, and is considered one of the most widely reproduced art images.
As with most LEGO Art sets, LEGO has also produced an accompanying podcast about the history, meaning and design of Hokusai's The Great Wave, which you can listen to even if you don't own the set.
It wouldn't be an art set without some great design, and we get a nice print from Hokusai on the instructions. The colors are slightly stronger, the peach and blue tones are more saturated. I learned that this was a conscious decision to not only match the LEGO color palette, but also to better reflect the original look of The Great Wave from 1831.
Here is a look at the instruction manual, which contains further details and insights into Hokusai's "The Great Wave". The minimalist back of the instructions with Hokusai's signature is particularly beautiful.
There are no stickers included with the set, so every decoration is printed on the set!
The building experience
Building Hokusai: The Great Wave was extraordinary and a truly enjoyable experience.
Thanks to a dynamic, multi-layered structure that reminds me a lot of 21333 Vincent Van Gogh: The Starry Night, the structure is varied and requires active concentration in some places.
The construction process was definitely something the designer placed great emphasis on. In 15 numbered sections, it goes from placing the round tiles to building the background and wave to framing, before the final step of satisfactorily inserting and snapping the Hokusai woodblock into the frame.
There's a video on my YouTube channel where you can see how the LEGO Great Wave off Kanagawa is made!
One of the new interesting element colors is this light nougat colored one Plate, which offers an alternative to the black versions introduced in the LEGO Art theme.
The finished model
Like the original painting that inspired it, the LEGO Hokusai The Great Wave is a great model and one of the most aesthetically pleasing LEGO sets ever produced. It faithfully reproduces the dynamic composition, colors and features of Hokusai's masterpiece.
It looks incredibly good in the exhibition and is simply a LEGO experience in a class of its own.
If you've been lucky enough to see the Great Wave in the flesh, the first thing you'll notice is how small the woodcut is, but the additional white and brown frame is a clever device that not only draws the eye into the artwork by creating plenty of breathing room, but also serves to increase the overall size of the model, making it a considerably large piece.
One of the wonders of the set is how good it looks from every angle. I'm glad that LEGO Art has evolved from its simple tesserae to this sophisticated and textured 3D rendering that creates the effect of a painting emerging from its frame, allowing the tiny details and LEGO nature of the whole to stand out as interesting visual points.
One of the most notable parts of Hokusai's The Great Wave is its depiction of Mount Fuji, an active volcano that rises above Tokyo and was revered and fascinated by Japanese artists.
The brilliance of the original image takes Japan's highest mountain and reverses the perspective of Mount Fuji, showing a massive, crashing wave that dwarfs the snow-capped mountain.
Here's a look at the white cloud that lies over Mount Fuji, reflecting the wave's silhouette. This top section reflects LEGO Art's DNA with the repeated use of tiles and was quite pleasant to place due to its calming, repetitive nature.
In the top corner is Hokusai's signature in light nougat and in the white tile is the inscription of the series' title, which translates as: "Thirty-six views of Mount Fuji / On the high seas in Kanagawa / Under the wave".
Hokusai had no last name and often changed his name and signature with each new work or series he worked on.
Also the fact that it is printed Tiles is very much appreciated.
The defining feature of the Great Wave is the claw-like tendrils of the wave and spray, with foamy claws reaching out towards the fishermen. It has animalistic features and the wave dominates the entire composition.
Another prominent part of the Great Wave is the layers on top of each other Plates, which create a feeling of depth and perspective of the turbulent sea.
Again, these are masterful details and I love the decision Plates to use, very good. The LEGO studs also contribute to the structured look while proudly reflecting the typical LEGO look.
Finally, just like the original woodcut, these small human figures in two fishing boats heading toward the raging tsunami are a detail that might be missed when you first see The Great Wave.
These are all printed tiles that look great. There are various interpretations of what these brave (or foolish) men were doing while caught in the Great Wave, but the most common is that they were fishermen in Edo Bay (Tokyo), off the coast of Yokohama, bravely venturing out into the choppy seas to be the first in the season to catch skipjack, a highly prized fish.
Comparison with other Lego ART sets and size of the model
I'm a big fan of the LEGO Art theme, especially the newer models which are a bit more creative and interesting than the earlier mosaic portraits.
To get a sense of scale, The Great Wave is shown here next to 31206 The Rolling Stones.
For connoisseurs and historical art lovers, it can be seen here alongside 21333 Vincent Van Gogh: The Starry Night, one of my favorite sets of 2022.
I really like this trend of world-famous works of art being made into LEGO Art sets and I definitely want more in this direction.
And to show that the set is quite large, it is shown here next to the world map, which is the LEGO set with the most pieces to date!
And here it is seen next to the UCS AT-AT, the Bonsai Tree and Optimus Prime, which are not part of the art sets.
As you can see, it's quite a large set and incredibly easy to display, whether you lean it against a wall or hang it.
What I liked:
- Incredibly relaxing and captivating construction with varied construction phases
- Looks fantastic on display thanks to clever use of parts
- Fully fulfills the potential and promise of LEGO Art
- The accompanying soundtrack is beautifully produced and adds to the overall experience
- Reasonable price level
What I didn't like:
- Nothing at all - this set is perfect
Conclusion:
After building 31208 Hokusai: The Great Wave, I wanted to wait a few days to really think and formulate my thoughts before writing this review, and in the time that has passed since then, I can't think of a single flaw or thing that I don't like about this work.
Hokusai: The Great Wave is a stunning LEGO masterpiece and deserves its perfect 5-star rating for masterfully adapting Hokusai's iconic masterpiece, while simultaneously bringing it to life with a 3D textured build that highlights the dramatic parts of the woodblock print.
This is LEGO art at its finest, and while it may not be for everyone, if you're interested in art, history and the world, it will delight you and make a stylish and tasteful LEGO decoration for your home or workspace.
This masterpiece of LEGO art deserves a rare 5/5 rating and is a shining example of LEGO art finally finding its flow.
Rating/Score: 5/5 ★★★★★
Building experience [5] – Combines relaxation and clever building and modeling techniques for a fun and immersive experience.
Price [5] – The price of $99.99 is exceptionally reasonable relative to the building experience and the final display model.
Innovation [4] – LEGO Art finds its way, combining its mosaic heritage with 3D textures to bring classic works of art to life
Cool [5] – One of the coolest LEGO sets to display that shows how cultured and worldly you are.
Usability [5] – A phenomenal display piece that can easily fit into your work or living space.
Thank you for reading this report 31208 Hokusai The Great Wave have read! I hope you enjoyed this read and the Speed Build video.
Translated from the original by January