Early Autumn

A woodblock print capturing the threshold moment when summer's green begins its slow turn toward amber and rust. Tsuchiya Rakuzan renders early autumn not as dramatic transformation but as subtle signal: a single branch tinged with color, a migrating bird passing overhead, or the first dry leaves curling at the edges. Rakuzan's kacho-e tradition of pairing flora and fauna with the changing seasons is especially suited to these transitional moments, where nature's shifts are visible only to a patient and attentive eye. The oban format provides ample room for the delicate observation that defines his finest prints.