The Face of Taisho Romanticism
This special exhibition brings together approximately 500 works and materials from Takehisa Yumeji collections across Japan, including his renowned masterpiece “Kurofuneya,” as well as Japanese paintings, oil paintings, woodblock prints, sketches and scrapbooks, to explore the diverse range of his work.
Takehisa Yumeji was a multifaceted artist who worked as a painter, poet, journalist, designer and illustrator from the end of the Meiji era to the beginning of the Showa era. He is known as a symbol of Taisho Romanticism, with his distinctive female figures known as the “Yumeji style” and his retro-modern designs. Yumeji is an artist who transcended the boundaries of “fine art,” capturing the spirit of his time.
His works, which depict the sentimentality and nostalgia of youth, the charm of Edo and exoticism, and a yearning for urban sophistication, resonated with many through magazines and postcards, and became immensely popular. His work also included designing everyday goods, creating books and magazines for children, writing the lyrics to the popular song “Yoimachigusa,” and documenting the Great Kanto Earthquake, which had a significant impact on subsequent generations. Active in a wide range of genres, Yumeji can be described as a pioneering creator who crossed the boundaries of art and media.
