Summer, from the series "New Versions of Flowers of the Four Seasons (Shinpan furyu shiki no hana)" c. 1767

Suzuki Harunobu created *Summer, from the series "New Versions of Flowers of the Four Seasons"* as a woodblock print. But let’s not let the simplicity of that term fool us. This wasn’t just a matter of slapping some ink on a carved plank. The process of making these prints involved an entire workshop. An expert block cutter would painstakingly translate the artist’s design into a series of woodblocks, one for each color. Then, a printer would apply the colors in precise registration, building up the image layer by layer. The soft, translucent colors, the crispness of the lines – all speak to the incredible skill involved. Look closely, and you can almost see the ghost of the many hands that brought this image into being. It’s a reminder that even seemingly simple images can be the result of complex social and material relationships. Ultimately, that's where the true beauty of this print resides: in its demonstration of human ingenuity and collaboration.