Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita (1886-1968) was raised in a military family in Tokyo before moving to France in 1913. Early on, Foujita stood out from the Paris art scene in the 1920s with his exuberant, effervescent personality and innovative use of oil paint with traditional Japanese materials such as mens? (fine brushes), nikawa (animal glue) and sumi (ink). It was his dexterity and expert draftsmanship with these materials and his own invention of techniques that allowed him to achieve a distinct style beyond that of Japanese tradition. His needle-sharp-lines are created with a menso, the thinnest type of brush used by traditional Japanese painters. However, unlike past practitioners, Foujita's experience of Western modernity allowed him to create a distinct style, grounded in his extraordinary draftsmanship, full of sinuous lines, strong and delicate at the same time.
He is best known for his portraits of sheer pearlescent milky coloured skin with translucent ivory backgrounds, as shown in the two Untitled portraits featured here (Lot 2257 & Lot 2258). Foujita precisely applied the ink wash in a delicate and restrained manner;; his dexterity and precision is illustrated brilliantly in his treatment of the skin and facial features. The subject matter of dolls came late in his career, beginning in the 1950s after the Second World War. Foujita once explained that, "In reaction to the violent times, I chose gentle, even child-like subjects," A direction that shows Foujita's inner search for purity and innocence amidst the trauma left by the war. Yet these doll portraits, with their sombre gazes, suggest a haunting and indecipherable wisdom that contrasts with the naivety of their faces. Moreover, these two pieces shed light into Foujita's imaginary universe where childhood reigned supreme, showcasing his unique painterly techniques that are unmatched in the history of Asian twentieth century art.