Reading by the Bamboo Window

From the 1920s onward, Umehara Ryuzaburo often visited the villa of photographer Nojima Yasuzo, a collector of Umehara’s work. Located in Atami, the villa had panoramic views of Kinomiya and Uomisaki. Possibly inspired by the scenery of Cagnes-sur-Mer, where his mentor Renoir had a studio facing the sea in southern France, Umehara repeatedly depicted this warm, gently illuminated setting. These depictions include paintings of the villa from various angles, such as Nojima’s Cottage, Atami (collection of The Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura & Hayama), and Portrait of Akara (private collection) portraying his eldest daughter seated in a chair. This work, too, is bathed in the seaside light of Atami, with the deep greens of the mountains and garden vividly contrasting with the red adorning the building. (F.R.)