9.4.18

Foujita... eyes, hair, cats...



There is at present a Foujita exhibition at the Maillol Museum (I wrote about the museum here). Have you ever really noticed how Foujita painted eyes, hair, cats… (and dogs)?

I have no intention here to tell the life of Foujita (18896-1968), who spent many years in France (you can do that e.g. here), I just wanted to illustrate more in detail some of his techniques…  The top picture shows his own eyes, a detail of one of his self-portraits (1928).

Here are some other examples of his very personal (Japanese-European) style, with details from the self-portrait. His love for cats is well-known – in 1930 he even published a “Book of Cats” for which you would have to pay a fortune today, if you can find it.


More examples of eyes, hair, cats …





… and even a dog.

I was pleased to find a painting from the Cité Falguière on which I posted here and where Foujita spent some of the WWI years.

The exhibition also showed a portrait of the French actor and film director Gérard Oury (1919-2006), from 1927, when he was 8 years old. Oury is responsible of a number of popular films with Louis de Funès, Bourvil, Yves Montand, David Niven, Terry Thomas, J-P Belmondo… and here we can see him together with his long time life partner Michèle Morgan and his daughter Danielle Thompson, who now owns the little portrait.      

4 comments:

Mystica said...

Reading your blog, I learn something new each time around. Thanks.

Jeanie said...

Not knowing Foujita at all, I thought that first image (just the glasses) was Harry Potter! I love his cats -- he really captures their attitude so beautifully. And the other work is lovely. I had no idea. Thank you, peter!

Maria Russell said...

Many of La Rotonde's male customers envied Foujita. A regular at this bistro himself, he always managed to be surrounded by beautiful ladies.
What a lovely portrait of the 8 year old Gérard Oury!!
Thank you, Peter.
Maria

Studio at the Farm said...

I must say, I do like his cats, and his rendering of hair is lovely. Thank you, Peter!

Kathryn