The Wave – Henri-Gustave Jossot (1894) – Vintage Lithograph Poster Print

Henri-Gustave Jossot’s The Wave is a wonderfully dramatic piece of fin-de-siecle graphic art, depicting a small boat overwhelmed by an enormous, curling sea. A painter and his easel are pitched precariously into the churning water, while Jossot reduces the figures, boat, and waves to sweeping black-and-white forms. The exaggerated curves, spirals, and sharply cropped composition give the scene an almost surreal sense of movement and danger, while the stylized treatment of the water creates a distinctly modern visual language.

Created as part of L’Estampe originale in 1894, Jossot’s image is also a witty satire of the contemporary European fascination with Japanese art. The composition deliberately echoes Katsushika Hokusai’s famous Under the Wave off Kanagawa, particularly its towering wave, dramatic cropping, and plunging perspective. Rather than simply imitating Hokusai, however, Jossot turns the Japonisme craze back on itself, humorously sending an artist and his tools tumbling into the very aesthetic tradition he is parodying. The result is an especially striking example of French fin-de-siecle graphic art, combining caricature, Japonisme, and bold modernist design.

 

🖨️ Print features:

– Made with museum-grade archival paper for excellent printing fidelity and vibrant color reproduction

– Paper weight: 189 g/m2

– For indoor use only

– Care instructions: If the print does gather any dust, you may wipe it off gently with a clean, dry cloth.

– Please note: Due to the production process of these posters, please allow for slight size deviations with a tolerance +/- 1/16″

 

🚚 Fulfillment, Shipping, and Return Policy:

– Printed and shipped from the U.S.

– Ships in a sturdy mailing tube, frame not included

– As our items are unique and made to order, we can only accept a return or exchange in the event that an item arrives damaged or misprinted. We cannot accept returns if you order the wrong size or change your mind. Any return requests must be made within 14 days of receiving the order.

 

💬 Questions? Looking for something else, or want something in a different size? Feel free to reach out anytime; we’ll see what we can do!