Rainstorm beneath the Summit, from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji

ca. 1832

Katsushika Hokusai’s influential series showing Mount Fuji from unusual vantage points includes many innovative images, but few are as powerful as this bird’s-eye view of the peak with lightning below. The artist emphasizes the physical bulk of the mountain by showing that there can be completely different weather conditions on either side: while the storm in the foreground is as dark as night, fluffy clouds and a blue sky appear in the background.