Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita (1886-1968)

Sylvie Buisson has confirmed the authenticity of this work.

Painted in 1922, in a period of intense productivity for the artist, Fleurs et papillons is a beautiful example of Foujita’s mastery of technique and purity of line. The artist’s dexterity and precision recalls the finest calligraphic techniques which he learned during his youth in Japan. This painting belongs to a series of works which Foujita executed over gold leaf in the early 1920s. The carefully painted flowers and butterflies come to life on a vibrant gold background, which is an indication of the artist looking back to Renaissance artists who frequently made use of gold-leaf, as well as to the 15th/16th century Japanese artist, Kano Masanobu, who established the Kano school and was known for his series of sliding doors and folding screens painted over gold foil (fig. 1).