Thunderstorm Beneath the Summit

Thunderstorm Beneath the Summit shows Mount Fuji's dark peak rising above swirling storm clouds shot through with lightning. Created around 1831 by Katsushika Hokusai, this dramatic print contrasts sharply with the serene Red Fuji from the same "Thirty-six Views" series. The mountain dominates from an impossible vantage point, as if the viewer floated in the turbulent sky.

Hokusai showed Fuji in every weather condition and from every angle, demonstrating the mountain's many moods. Here, zigzag lightning illuminates the storm while the summit remains calm above the chaos. The composition creates tension between the mountain's eternal stability and the violent weather below. Dark clouds rendered in gradated printing add depth to the threatening sky.

This dramatic image is rarer than Red Fuji or The Great Wave, making good impressions particularly prized.