Fuji in a Thunderstorm (YÅ«dachi no Fuji): Half of detatched page from One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku hyakkei) Vol. 2 Possibly 1835 - 1836

Editor: Here we have Hokusai’s "Fuji in a Thunderstorm," from his series "One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji." It's a powerful image, even in monochrome. What statements do you think Hokusai was trying to make about the mountain or about nature with this piece? Curator: Hokusai is clearly engaging with Fuji as a national symbol, but he's also subverting it. Notice how the mountain, usually depicted serenely, is almost blotted out by the storm. It’s about the power of nature versus cultural idealization, and how society often filters its view of the natural world. Editor: So, it's less about pure landscape and more about the tension between nature and human perception? Curator: Precisely. Hokusai uses this dramatic scene to explore the very public role of Fuji and questions our idealized image. It makes you wonder, what other symbols do we sanitize? Editor: I never considered that angle; I was only focusing on the art itself. This conversation made me realize how essential it is to analyze the socio-political context. Curator: Indeed. Now you can bring that perspective to other works you see.