Near Atami

Fifteen years after returning to Japan from France, in 1929, Yasui Sotaro finally arrived at a style that suited him, which involved rendering subjects at life size. He gave each subject clear outlines, and tied meticulous compositions together with a simple and harmonious palette in both portraits and landscapes. In March of that year, Yasui spent several weeks in Atami working intensively on a view of Sagami Bay from above, seen through the trees on a slope near his hotel. He produced at least three oil paintings with almost identical compositions, with variations in the time of day and lighting conditions, and this is one of those works. Alongside his Seated Lady (collection of the Artizon Museum), featuring a kimono-clad woman, it was shown at the 16th Nika Exhibition in September 1929. (K.T.)