Matsumoto Ichiyō
Today, we continue our special month with a marvelous collection of the Fukuda Art Museum in Kyoto. What a beautiful masterpiece we have for you today!
These two women seem to be enjoying a trip on a ferry crossing the Seto Inland Sea. One wears a white dress smartly accented with red striping and topped by a hat with a sea-blue sheen. Her companion wears a mauve one-piece integrating a skirt with diaphanous hemlines. The color is beautifully complemented by a coolly elegant, narrow navy-blue belt. Like a Western flapper of the same period, having just lit a cigarette, she’s a "modern girl." As in fashion plates from glossy magazines, the artist has showcased the latest trends, even down to clutch bag, footwear, and folding fan.
Matsumoto Ichiyō (1893–1952) was a Japanese painter active during the Taishō and Shōwa eras. He was born in Kyoto into a family of yūzen fabric dyers. He graduated from the Kyoto Municipal Special School of Painting in 1915, and then continued his studies with Yamamoto Shunkyo (1871–1933).
If you love this serene ferry crossing, explore more coastal charm in our Sea, Ships & Beaches 50 Postcards Set! :)
P.S. Enjoy your Sunday! These paintings will inspire you to chill out!
P.P.S. The Fukuda Art Museum holds some of the most stunning examples of Japanese art. Curious which pieces are the staff’s favorites? Find out in the Fukuda Art Museum staff picks!