Hokusai exhibition at Dulwich Picture Gallery: The Great Wave Is Just the Beginning

When people think of London's great art galleries, they tend to picture the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain, Tate Modern, the Royal Academy, The Courtauld, or possibly The Wallace Collection. Few venture south to Dulwich Picture Gallery, which feels surprising given its status as England's first purpose-built public art gallery and one of London's true cultural treasures.

Founded in 1817 and designed by Sir John Soane, Dulwich Picture Gallery has been quietly hosting world-class exhibitions for generations. Yet many art lovers visiting London remain completely unaware it exists. Tucked away in leafy Dulwich Village, it remains one of the capital's best-kept secrets and the perfect setting for Hokusai: Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji.

Most visitors will arrive knowing exactly one image. The Great Wave is arguably one of the most recognisable artworks ever created, reproduced endlessly on posters, mugs, tote bags and social media. Unsurprisingly, it is positioned near the beginning of the exhibition and immediately attracts a crowd.

In fact, there's a slight danger that the famous wave overshadows everything that follows. The prints themselves are also much smaller than many visitors expect. Having grown up seeing reproductions in books and on walls, it's easy to imagine large dramatic canvases. Instead, many of these works are surprisingly intimate in scale.

I noticed more than a few visitors lingering around the famous wave prints before moving rather quickly through the rest of the exhibition, which is a shame because the real story lies in the complete series.

Seen together, these works reveal something far more fascinating than a single masterpiece. Every print features Mount Fuji, but rarely in the same way. Sometimes the mountain dominates the landscape. Sometimes it appears as little more than a tiny shape on the horizon. Hokusai plays constantly with scale and perspective, encouraging visitors to hunt for Fuji within each scene.

The final print provides a particularly fitting conclusion. Rather than showing the mountain in its entirety, Hokusai focuses solely on the summit itself. Climbers battle the elements near the peak, sheltering from the weather as they continue their ascent. After an exhibition spent viewing Fuji from afar, it feels like a remarkably intimate farewell.

The historical context behind the series is equally fascinating. During much of Hokusai's lifetime Japan was largely isolated from the outside world. Early Japanese prints used pigments created from natural materials such as flowers, plants, minerals and earth. Then came the arrival of Prussian blue.

Imported through limited trade with Dutch merchants, the vivid new pigment transformed Japanese printmaking. Hokusai embraced it enthusiastically and many of the exhibition's most striking works are built around its intensity. The colour became so fashionable that blue quickly spread throughout Japanese art and design, almost becoming an obsession of the era.

Many visitors may also be surprised by just how playful some of the works are. The accompanying interpretation panels reveal visual jokes, hidden references and gentle challenges to the social conventions of the day. The captions and supporting narratives are excellent throughout and really repay careful reading. These are not simply landscape pictures. They are often witty observations on everyday life.

Another revelation is the artist himself. Hokusai was famously restless and self-critical. Despite creating some of the most celebrated images in art history, he believed he had only truly become a good artist at the age of seventy. He hoped to live to one hundred because he was convinced his finest work still lay ahead of him.

The exhibition also sheds light on the collaborative nature of Japanese printmaking. While Hokusai's name sits above every image, much of the practical work involved partnerships with printers, carvers and assistants. In his later years, his daughter Katsushika Ōi played an increasingly important role in developing and executing his artistic vision. Modern scholarship continues to recognise her contribution and talent, helping tell a fuller story behind these iconic works.

And while you're there, don't make the mistake of leaving once you've finished with Hokusai.

Directly opposite sits a delightful free exhibition of drawings and paintings by Charlie Mackesy, creator of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. A phenomenon during the Covid years and now one of Britain's most beloved illustrators, Mackesy's work attracts visitors of all ages.

The exhibition brings together never-before-seen sketches, unpublished studies and original works spanning his career, offering a rare glimpse into how his instantly recognisable images develop from rough ideas into finished pieces. Alongside preparatory sketches are illustrations from The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse and its follow-up, Always Remember: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, the Horse and the Storm.

It's a wonderfully uplifting exhibition and perfectly complements the Hokusai show. One explores nineteenth-century Japan's greatest printmaker, the other celebrates a contemporary artist whose simple observations on kindness and friendship resonated with millions during difficult times. Together they make for a surprisingly rewarding double bill.

For all the attention inevitably given to The Great Wave, the lasting impression of this exhibition is not one image but an evolving conversation between artist, landscape and nation. Combined with a visit to the Mackesy exhibition and the chance to explore one of London's most overlooked galleries, this is a cultural day out that feels well worth the journey south of the river.

Need to Know

Exhibition: Hokusai: Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji from the Iuchi Collection

Venue: Dulwich Picture Gallery, Gallery Road, Dulwich Village, London SE21 7AD

Dates: 20 October 2026 to 17 January 2027

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm

Tickets: Adult admission from £21.50. Concessions available and under-18s go free.

London Born & Bred Verdict

The prints may be smaller than expected, but the stories behind them are immense. Come for The Great Wave, stay for the rich history, humour and humanity contained within the rest of the series. Add the free Charlie Mackesy exhibition and a visit to one of London's most underrated galleries, and you've got one of the capital's most rewarding cultural outings this winter.