L. Tsuguharu FOUJITA (1886-1968) (after)
ENGLISH NAME: About the Addict Collection (Dog Circus)
MEDIUM: Color lithographs
Illustrations for: Proposd’un intoxiqué, by Jules Bossiére
Limited Edition: 122
Sixteen watercolor reproductions by Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita for the book, Propos d’un intoxiqué, by Jules Bossiére. The lithographs were done by Gaston Prost and colored by Daniel Jacomet in the Cie workshops in Paris. Printed on the presses of Master Printer R.Coulouma in Argenteuil, France. Edited by Javal and Bourdeaux, 44 bis, Rue de Vellejust, Paris. Edition of 122 copies, March 23, 1928.
Published by Javal & Bourdeaux, 1929
Printed by Atelier Gaston Prost.
IMAGE is ACTUAL WORK
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ABOUT THE WORK:
Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita's artwork in "Propos d'un intoxiqué" by Jules Boissière showcases the artist's distinctive style, blending Japanese and Western artistic traditions. The book features 16 works by Foujita, including his signature fine, delicate lines and subtle washes of color. Foujita's illustrations complement Boissière's text, which deals with themes of intoxication and altered states, as suggested by the title "Propos d'un intoxiqué" (Remarks of an Intoxicated Person). The artist's ability to capture the essence of his subjects with minimal yet expressive strokes, combined with his unique cultural perspective, would have made his contributions to this literary work both visually striking and conceptually intriguing, enhancing the reader's experience of Boissière's narrative.
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita, born on November 27, 1886, in Tokyo, Japan, was a Japanese-French painter renowned for his unique blend of Eastern and Western artistic traditions. Foujita's early interest in painting was nurtured in Japan, where he studied at what is now the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. Under the tutelage of Seiki Kuroda, he mastered Western-style painting, while also learning traditional Japanese techniques from Seihō Takeuchi and Gyokushō Kawabata. His early works, exhibited in Japan, were signed "Fujita," a name he later francized to "Foujita" upon moving to Paris in 1913, seeking to immerse himself in the vibrant Montparnasse art scene.
In Paris, Foujita quickly became a prominent figure among the avant-garde artists, befriending luminaries such as Pablo Picasso and Amedeo Modigliani. His distinctive style, characterized by a fusion of Japanese ink techniques and Western oil painting, gained him widespread acclaim. Foujita's works from the 1920s, particularly his nudes and self-portraits, were celebrated for their milky-white glaze—a secret mix of flaxseed oil, crushed chalk, and magnesium silicate—that gave his paintings a unique luminescence. His 1922 painting "Reclining Nude with Toile de Jouy" was a significant success, establishing him as a leading artist of the École de Paris.
Foujita's career was marked by extensive travels and diverse artistic endeavors. Between 1931 and 1932, he toured South and North America, documenting his experiences in sketches and paintings. Upon returning to Japan in 1933, he became an official war artist during World War II, creating works that depicted battle scenes to boost morale. However, his association with the war effort later led to criticism and a tarnished reputation in post-war Japan. In 1949, Foujita moved to the United States before settling permanently in France in 1950. He became a French citizen in 1955 and converted to Catholicism in 1959, adopting the name Léonard.
In his later years, Foujita focused on religious themes, culminating in the construction and decoration of the Chapel of Our Lady Queen of Peace in Reims, France. His work on the chapel, completed in 1966, included frescoes and stained-glass windows, reflecting his deep spiritual transformation. Foujita passed away on January 29, 1968, in Zürich, Switzerland, and was buried near the chapel he had adorned. While his legacy remains celebrated in France, his reception in Japan is mixed due to his wartime activities. Nonetheless, retrospective exhibitions have sought to reestablish his significance in Japanese art history, highlighting his role as a bridge between Eastern and Western art traditions.