1925
Oil on Canvas
41.5 x 33 cm
Signed Foujita in Chinese and English, dated 1925
Estimate TWD 5,200,000-7,200,000
USD 185,700-257,100
HKD 0-0
Hammer Price TWD 9,000,000
USD 323,974
HKD 2,571,429
Provenance：Private Collection, Switzerland Sotheby`s, New York, November 7, 2013, Lot 192 Sotheby`s, New York, May 15, 2019, Lot 220 Acquired from the above by the present owner
Illustrated：
Exhibition：
Exposition：
“The more eccentric I am and the more insanely I live, the closer I am to my true color, and thus, the better I paint. The festivity ended on that day, no longer relevant to us. I savor this feeling, where all is void. Your pale white skin, I want to mark it with tattoo…” --- Tsuguharu Foujita
Tsuguhara Foujita was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1886. In 1968, he was laid to rest in Paris as a French national. To this day, Foujita’s talent and eccentricity still intrigue the world. His female nudes, marked by their pale white skin and mellow expression that exudes gentle, delicate glow, are representative of his glorious years in Paris in early 20th century. Born into a well-to-do family, Foujita was well educated. He pursued the study of art with his father’s support. In 1905, he studied oil painting in what is now the Tokyo University of the Arts. At the time, the impressionistic approaches of painting outdoors and avoiding the use of black were held with highly regarded in the Japanese art scene. Foujita, however, was not interested. He insisted on applying ink in his art. Later on, he traveled to Paris to further hone his skills. He started a studio in Montparnasse, and vowed to become the best in the world. Meanwhile, he came to the realization that his return trip to Japan would not take place soon. Very quickly, by fusing the Japanese and Western style, he rose from a nobody to a somebody in Paris.
Early 20th century can be regarded as the golden age of Paris. The first world war had ended. Artists flocked to Paris, bringing Montparnasse to life. There, they developed an intricate social culture. It was also during this time that the School of Paris took shape, with prominent members such as Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Amedeo Mondigliani, Moïse Kisling and Tsuguharu Foujita. Cultural elites around the world gathered here. Aside from discoursing on art, they drank, sang and danced, through which Foujita became acquainted with his muse, Kiki (Alice Prin). Kiki, who was spontaneous and unrestrained, became the first protagonist of Foujita’s nudes.
Being Asian, Foujita was a rarity in the School of Paris. Nicknamed Fou Fou, he was casually dressed, wearing a blunt bang and a pair of round glasses. Such a distinct style destined him for the extraordinary. Combining French oil painting techniques with the Ukiyo-e expression, he created an original style with sophistication. The delineation of the figures intensifies and eases; the texture of white light and translucent, setting Foujita apart from the ordinary. In 1917, he debuted in a solo exhibition in Georges Chéron Gallery with remarkable turnout. In 1922, his Nude with Print, with Kiki as the model, was selected for Salon d'Automne. The day after the exhibition, it was featured in a Parisian newspaper, making Foujita an overnight sensation.
In Portrait Of Kiki de Montparnasse, Kiki appears gentle, while confident and determined. Her lips slightly touch each other, her eyes witty, as though a story is about to be told. Her elegant hair, which is full and black, is depicted with soft bouncy lines. Overall, the style of painting is Japanese. Kiki’s feminine face is contoured in one take. Steady brushworks orchestrate the rhythm of muscles. Gradients of grey set off the creases in the fabric. A sense of vitality is embedded within the subject. While embodying the East and West, such contrast creates even more intrigue. Behind his eccentricity and obsessiveness is a realm that is profound and mysterious, the state of Yūgen devised with brushwork as exquisite and graceful as water. Foujita transformed the splendor of a golden age into masterpieces. Undoubtedly, his accomplishments have solidified for him a place among the preeminent Japanese artists in the 20th century.
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