Twelve Pictures of the Months: 7. The July Picture | Yoshimura Kokei 吉村孝敬 | 1769-1836

During the hot season of July, melons are a blessing in Japan for all who are thirsty; there are many varieties, and it used to be a summer pastime to compete in spitting melon seeds. A painting of significant art historical importance by Morikage Kusumi, a 17th-century painter, was considered a prime example. Within his painting tradition (the Kanō school), only elitist, "educated" subjects and motifs were deemed worthy of depiction. However, Morikage painted a melon farmer enjoying the cool evening air with his family under a pergola laden with melons on a summer's evening. This was nothing short of revolutionary. This painting, housed in the National Museum of Tokyo, is a "National Treasure." It is considered the first painting to seriously address the lives of Japanese farmers, the social class that at that time occupied the lowest rung of the social pyramid.

A dragonfly is flying in the top image bar – also a symbol of high summer.