A dramatic thunderstorm breaks beneath the summit of Mount Fuji, its threatening gloom contrasting with the bright, albeit cloudy, skies above. An arresting image by a celebrated artist, much of the impact of the finished print depended on the skill of the printer in applying the different colours.

One of Hokusai’s most renowned works, The Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji offers different perspectives of Japan’s most famous mountain. As well as being Japan’s highest mountain, Fuji’s symmetry and proximity to the important city of Edo (modern-day Tokyo) made it a popular subject for the arts and an enduring symbol of Japan.