Chasing Tatsuta-hime to Meet "YUMEJI"

I went to see the "140th Anniversary YUMEJI Exhibition: Taisho Roman and a New World" currently being held at the Abeno Harukas Art Museum.

The exhibition features works by Takehisa Yumeji, focusing on items from the collection of the Yumeji Art Museum in Okayama Prefecture. Takehisa Yumeji was a painter active from the end of the Meiji era to the early Showa era, and is sometimes treated as synonymous with Taisho Roman.

Many of you are likely fans of his unique style of female portraiture known as "Yumeji-style beauties."

The poster displayed at the entrance of the museum uses "Amaryllis," which is being shown in the Kansai region for the first time. I passed through the gate thinking about how charming the profound quality of an oil painting is.

As soon as I entered the venue, the world of Taisho Roman welcomed me. Behind Yumeji's portrait was moss-green wallpaper. The panels, designed to look like shoji screens, were decorated with patterns that seemed monotonous at first glance but had a rhythmic quality. I thought, "Ah, this is Yumeji."

When I was a child, I visited the Yumeji Art Museum several times. It is located not far from my parents' hometown by train. Besides, my mother loved Yumeji's work.

This time, I was able to reunite with many of the Yumeji beauties I met long ago. Famous works such as "Woman" and "Autumn Rest," not to mention "Amaryllis," were all lined up.

When I first saw them, the women Yumeji painted appeared to my eyes as "ennuied and fragile people." I remember feeling that they all looked somewhat sad.

Strangely, in this exhibition, I could also feel the strength of the women. Many of them have a subtle light painted in their eyes, and their supple postures seemed to symbolize a resilience that would not easily be defeated by anything.

The work that left the strongest impression on me as a child was "Tatsuta-hime." It is a work depicting a goddess who appears in Japanese mythology, also written as Tatsuta-hime.

I came here thinking, "I wonder if 'Tatsuta-hime' will be on display?" so I was happy to see her.

When I was a child, I thought the woman named Tatsuta-hime was crying.

But now, I cannot help but feel that a quiet yet certain strength resides in her overly delicate nape and standing posture. It is not just that I learned Tatsuta-hime is the goddess of autumn; my own heart, as I face the work, must have changed as well.

Oh yes, the cuteness of the Chiyogami papers. They might have been perceived as stylish patterns at the time, but now, their retro feel tickles my heart. I feel like I could keep collecting these forever.

In addition, various works are on display while tracing Yumeji's life, such as covers and illustrations for "Shojo Gaho" and "Fujin Graph," as well as sketches drawn during his travels abroad.

From the sketches that I assume are of a Caucasian girl, the thinness of her nose bridge and the paleness of her eyes came across clearly. I am guessing on my own that Takehisa Yumeji was a person with keen powers of observation who loved women.

I also bought a few goods.

The Rollbahn notebook features 'Park in Berlin'. There were two other patterns for the cover as well.

I think I'll put some of the postcards in frames to display. My daughters also like a few of them, so I plan to choose them together.

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Now that I have finished viewing this exhibition, the 'Takehisa Yumeji' I saw in the early Heisei era and the 'YUMEJI' of the Reiwa era exist within me as completely different things.

I think the interesting thing about viewing paintings is that the work and the viewer connect in the present tense. The impression of a painting changes depending on when you view it.

For those who say, 'I've seen Yumeji's paintings before,' why not visit the Abeno Harukas Art Museum to meet 'YUMEJI' for yourself?

There is a garden on the 16th floor of Abeno Harukas, so you can enjoy the scenery along with viewing the paintings.