Goldfish and Clouds

Itakura Kanae studied under Horie Masaaki at the former Chiba Junior High School and graduated from Tokyo Fine Arts School. He moved to Paris in 1926, but tragically died from sepsis in 1929 at the young age of 28. While in Paris, he studied at Académie Ranson under Roger Bissière and created works characterized by vivid colors and orderly compositions, conveying the liveliness of the École de Paris. Itakura found some goldfish along the Seine, and in a letter dated November 16, 1927, his wife Sumiko noted: “Five more goldfish have joined us, considerably easing our loneliness.” This painting’s composition contains a fish tank with goldfish, a pipe emitting a trail of smoke, a tablecloth, a lamp, and a tranquil sky, all of which combine to create a scene tinged with melancholy. (M.N.)