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“写場” (Shajō / Photo Studio), also known as “娘” (Musume / Daughter) by 佐伯春虹 Saeki Shunkō (Japanese) - Ink, color, and mica on paper / c. 1937 – Los Angeles County Museum of Art (California) #WomenInArt #SaekiShunko #LACMA #JapaneseArt #モガ #Nihonga #日本画 #Bijinga #美人画 #artText #佐伯春虹 #モダンガール #1930sArt
A young Japanese woman stands with her hands gently clasped, surrounded by the imposing 1930s equipment of a professional photography studio. Her brightly patterned kimono contrasts with the pale backdrop, while a large photographic light and reflector frame her figure. Japanese artist Saeki Shunkō (佐伯春虹) combines the delicate outlines of traditional Japanese painting with a setting that celebrates modern technology. The woman’s composed expression and formal pose suggest someone waiting for her photograph to be taken. Her clothing and hairstyle reveal the changing fashions of 1930s Japan. The long sleeves of her furisode (振袖) kimono traditionally identify her as unmarried, while its vividly colored, swirling pattern represents bracken ferns, associated with early spring. The design also recalls the “Sawarabi” (Early Fiddlehead Ferns) chapter of the classical Japanese novel The Tale of Genji. The fabric appears to be meisen (銘仙), a fashionable silk textile manufactured using modern technologies and synthetic dyes. Her elaborate hairstyle adapts the traditional Tōrōbin Shimada silhouette through a Western-style permanent-wave technique. Bright red lipstick and fingernail polish further connect her appearance to the fashionable urban “modern girl” (モダンガール) or moga (モガ) of the period. Shunkō studied traditional Japanese painting and worked as a textile designer at Tokyo’s prestigious Shirokiya Department Store. He later trained under Itō Shinsui (伊東深水), an influential figure in modern Japanese painting. “Photo Studio” was exhibited in 1937 with the Rōhōgajuku (朗峯画塾) painting group and purchased by the collector Hosokawa Rikizō, who admired Shunkō’s combination of Japanese and Western techniques. This life-size portrait offers a striking picture of Japanese modernity. Rather than presenting tradition and innovation as opposites, Shunkō brings together an elegantly dressed young woman, centuries-old cultural references, and the photographic technology of her own era.
November 1, 2026 at 5:11 PM
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Tearoom by Saeki Shunkô (Japanese) - Ink, color, and silver on paper / 1936 - Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts- #japaneseart #womeninart #saekishunko #art #boston #mfaboston
November 29, 2024 at 8:38 PM