Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita

Why this artist matters now

Léonard Tsuguhito Foujita was a French painter and printmaker born in Tokyo in 1886, known for his distinctive synthesis of Japanese ink technique and European modernism. Working primarily in oil and watercolor, he developed a refined linear style characterized by delicate brushwork and a luminous, often monochromatic palette. Active in Paris from the 1910s onward, Foujita became a central figure in the École de Paris, creating intimate figure studies, still lifes, and nudes that merged calligraphic precision with Western pictorial tradition. His work spans painting, printmaking, and decorative arts across a career spanning seven decades.

Source: Sothebys · Trust score: 100% · Updated 1mo ago