National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto
Tsuguharu Foujita, Tapestry Nude, 1923
A nude woman and cat sit on a bed, gazing at the viewer. In the background, a gorgeous poppy-patterned "Jouy" cloth is draped, highlighting the nude woman's pale skin. "Jouy" is a hand-dyed fabric also known as French chintz, and Fujita has shown his respect for traditional craftsmanship through his meticulous depiction of it. Next to the nude woman is an adorable tabby cat with a distinctive white belly. Lying in a relaxed position with its hind legs stretched out, this cat is modeled after one that Fujita had as a pet at the time, and has frequently appeared in his other works.
In the 1920s, Fujita firmly established his position in the French art world as he produced a succession of works depicting nude women and cats. The motif of nude women and cats eventually became synonymous with Fujita, and he continued to paint them for a long time to come. Nude Under a Canopy, created in 1954, is one such work.
Karuizawa Ando Museum of Art
Tsuguharu Foujita, Nude under a Canopy, 1954
However, the impression it leaves is quite different from the nude and cat paintings from the 1920s. The gorgeous Jouy fabric that Fujita once painted alongside the nude is no longer visible, and instead, a crimson curtain with beautiful drapery catches the eye. The nude woman has her face turned away, and upon closer inspection, a sleeping cat is modestly depicted on the floor. Furthermore, a painting believed to be by Fujita and a plaster wall decorated with a cross give the impression of simplicity and austerity.
These changes seen in the works depicting nudes and cats are likely not unrelated to Foujita's growing interest in Christianity in his later years. After returning to France in 1950, Foujita painted many young girls with their heads covered in veils or scarves, symbols of piety and obedience, but he also moved away from creating nude figures such as those seen in "Nude in a Tapestry." As a result, the cat's place in his work shifted from beside the nude to in the arms of the young girl or girl. "Nude in a Canopy" is a nude painted amidst these changes, and is a valuable work that allows us to glimpse the evolution of Foujita's artistic career.
About the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto
The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, opened in 1963 and is located in Okazaki Park, the same park as Heian Shrine. The museum has a wide range of collections, including ceramics, lacquerware, dyed and woven crafts, as well as Japanese paintings, oil paintings, prints, sculptures, and photography, and hosts exhibitions in a variety of genres. It also places emphasis on art from Kyoto and western Japan.
The museum, which also owns works by Tsuguharu Foujita, has held large-scale retrospective exhibitions related to the artist, including the "120th Anniversary of His Birth: Tsuguharu Foujita Exhibition" in 2006 and the "50th Anniversary of His Death: Tsuguharu Foujita Exhibition" in 2018.
For more information on works by Tsuguharu Foujita in the collection of the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, click here.
The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto 26-1 Okazaki Enshojicho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture 606-8344
https://www.momak.go.jp/
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