Oil on canvas

22.1×16 cm. 8 3/4×6 1/4 in.

Signed in French on bottom left; signed in French and dated on the reverse stretcher

LITERATURE
2001, Léonard—Tsuguharu Foujita Vol.2, Sylvie & Dominique Buisson, ACR Edition, Paris, p.431, plate 53.56
PROVENANCE
Galerie Romanet, Alger
27 Jun 1989, Christie's London Impressionist and Modern Paintings and Sculpture Sale, Lot 438
Galerie Gilbert et Paul Pétridès, Paris
Acquired directly by present important private Asian collector from the above

This work is accompanied by two certificates of authenticity issued by Toobi Certification for Fine Arts, Tokyo and Galerie Gilbert et Paul Pétridès, Paris

A Smile that Amazes the Time
The Girl by Foujita

"Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita projected a new light from the Far East towards Europe, using the Japanese painting tradition to illuminate the radiance of reforms to the European painting tradition."
——Bernard Dorival, French art historian

Had a name as "darling of Paris", Léonard Foujita was one of the few Easterners in the art scene of Paris, the centre of world art in the last century. He was a star of the Paris School, which pursued avant-garde and innovation. In 1920, six of his works were included in the important Salon d'Automne in France, and he was elected as a member of the jury of the next year, which was a great honour. His works made Pablo Picasso forget to leave, and they are widely collected by the French government, Centre Georges-Pompidou in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, Japan.

Foujita was born into a famous family and travelled to Paris in 1913 to study art. In the foreign land, he met Picasso, Kees van Dongen and other friends, and joined the famous Paris School. He not only absorbed Western media and perspective but also incorporated into his paintings the delicate lines and flat colours used by masters of ukiyo-e such as Katsushika Hokusai. He also drew inspiration from Japanese celadon and Kabuki make-up and added a unique formula of white powdered mother-of-pearl into the pigments to create the theme of nude women with creamy skins, which was a surprise at the Salon in 1920. His works were honoured by the critics as "exquisite creamy white" and became internationally famous for their unique oriental charm.

Completed in 1953, Jeune Fille au rideau de dentelle noire is Foujita's masterpiece after his return to Paris. The painting features an elegant and noble young lady as the protagonist. In her smile, one can see the light of Paris's dream and the artistic essence after years. All aspects of this work show the artist's dreamlike magic of creation.

Mastering the East and West, Elegant Charm

The artwork showcases Foujita's iconic milky-white glaze and his superb ability to control black tones. Using a restrained application of low-saturation pale yellow and white, the artist delicately paints the soft, porcelain-like skin of the young girl. Smooth lines outline her rounded, egg-shaped face, graceful swan neck, and long, slender fingers with clearly defined joints. Elegant brown wavy lines meticulously depict her hair, giving it a sense of airiness. Above her head, the black veil is intricately painted with a detailed hexagonal honeycomb pattern using Foujita's classic delicate brushwork. The black veil, at times, overlapping and at other times spreading out, captures the fleeting moment when the wind gently caresses it. The girl embodies the pursuit of human aesthetics found in Western painting, combined with the lightness and elegance characteristic of Eastern painting.

Time Passes, Beauty Endures

Foujita's transcultural identity left him in a lifelong struggle with a profound sense of displacement and an urgent quest for belonging. In the aftermath of World War II, amidst the fervour of Japanese militarism, he returned to France in 1950, settling there permanently. To honour Leonardo da Vinci, he adopted the name "Léonard" and converted to Catholicism, seeking spiritual solace in religion. Upon his return to Paris, Foujita no longer sought validation from any particular culture; instead, he aspired to be a "stateless artist" who created art as a shared treasure for the world. However, the death of his close friend, the renowned model "Queen of Montparnasse," Kiki, in 1953 dealt him a heavy emotional blow. Yet, a source of comfort for Foujita was the presence of his old friend Picasso, who attended his first solo exhibition in Paris after his return to France, offering him great encouragement. The following year, his exhibitions in the Gallery of the Fine Arts Association of Madrid, Spain, Algeria, and other locations were met with immense success.

During this period, having endured the trials of life, Foujita turned his artistic focus toward religious themes, imbuing his female figures with a Madonna-like divinity. This is exemplified in Jeune Fille au rideau de dentelle noire, where the girl's gaze conveys a subtle blend of sorrow and serene composure, piercing through the canvas and reaching the viewer's soul. The gentle curve of her lips suggests words left unsaid. Her fingers, with childlike innocence, play with her cascading curls, reminiscent of Mona Lisa's locks. The black lace veil draped over her enhances her air of mystery, evoking imagery of the Virgin Mary mourning Christ's death in The Pietà. The interplay of life and death, the exuberance of youth, and the sorrow of farewell intertwine-this girl not only symbolises Foujita's reflections on life during his self-imposed seclusion but also embodies his ultimate pursuit of a state of pure, unblemished beauty.

Price estimate:
HKD 1,700,000 - 2,500,000
USD 217,900 - 320,500