Tsuguharu Foujita

Acquired by the mother of the previous owner in the 1960s

The canvas is not lined and there are no signs of retouching visible under UV light. Apart from some light horizontal craquelure, mainly to the bottom edge, this work is in very good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

During his early career in Paris, Foujita often painted his surroundings, landscapes, still lives, and the faces of the people that he met, in an effort to assimilate everything new that he discovered. The present work was painted the year after he split financially from his family in Japan, and made the decision to launch himself fully and permanently into the Parisian art scene, and in it we see his embrace of this new culture, and his commitment to a new artistic source: cyclamens are a type of prized decorative flower that is only found in the Mediterranean region, and the ornate metal grills over the windows are typical of Hausmann's Parisian architecture. The composition and subject, however, do not completely distance themselves from the Japanese painting tradition. Representations of nature, especially domesticated nature, were very popular in Japanese Floating World prints, a movement that depicted genre scenes in increasingly urbanized Japan beginning in the 1800s. In this way, though Foujita plunges himself in to the western painting tradition and iconography, he does not entirely separate himself from his cultural heritage.