TANAKA Yasushi(1886-1941) - Nina, Oil on canvas, Paris 1920-1930

Yasushi Tanaka (1886-1941) - Nina, Oil on canvas, Paris 1920-1930

Yasushi Tanaka was a Japanese artist who began his artistic career in Seattle, USA. He made a name for himself with his depictions of North American landscapes. With great finesse and an incredible sense of nature, he depicts lakes, fjords and ocean shores. He was a highly cultured artist, visiting numerous museums and exhibitions. He was fascinated by the great masters of French painting, such as Delacroix, Corot, Manet and Renoir.


In 1920, he moved to Paris with his wife. He was one of a group of Japanese artists, such as Foujita, Micao Kono and Sei Koyanagui, who set up shop in Paris after the First World War. Between 1920 and 1929, there were no fewer than 208 Japanese artists around Montmartre. Yasushi Tanaka stands out for his independent art, at once detached from pure Japanese art and French academicism. His compositions are a skilful blend of influences from the French masters and Japanese exoticism, and are the result of an in-depth study of nature that he acquired during his stay in Seattle.

In Paris, Yasushi Tanaka took part in a large number of salons and solo exhibitions, notably the Salon d'Automne and the Salons des Artistes Indépendants. From the moment he arrived, he was adored by the critics, "there is not a genre in which the virtuosity of his young talent has not already been exercised". He was particularly noted for his charming, refined female nudes.

This painting, entitled Nina, shows a young woman posing in an interior. This is one of the artist's specialties, which has won him critical acclaim: a female nude. The painting demonstrates the artist's virtuosity in the art of foreshortening, already underlined by his contemporaries, but also his in-depth study of the representation of the body.

This scene is typical of Yasushi Tanaka's work. It features influences from the great classics of Western art, with which he was very familiar, but also an Orientalist atmosphere. This Oriental taste is marked by the folding screen in the background and by the richness of the colorful, eminently decorative fabrics and draperies.
The scene is tightly framed, with the background obstructed by the folding screen, which prevents the background from opening up and gives the scene an intimate, personal character. Nina's gaze rests on ours, creating a special bond with the viewer.

This work was probably produced in the 1920s-1930s, when the artist painted many nudes, and was probably presented in a salon or exhibition.
The painting shows some craquelure, but is in good overall condition. It is an original oil on canvas, signed lower right and titled on the back.

Dimensions : 97 x 130 cm

Bibliography : L'art et les artistes, Revue d'art de France et de l'Etranger, 1921, Novembre, (numéro 21), L'exposition Tanaka au Salon d'Automne

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stunning painting, Nina by Yasushi Tanaka, Paris, 1920-1930

Yasushi Tanaka was a Japanese artist who began his artistic career in the United States in Seattle. He became famous for his depictions of North American landscapes, showing a great finesse and a sense of nature in his representations of lakes, fjords, and oceanic shores.


Tanaka was a highly cultured artist, he visited numerous museums and exhibitions, developing a passion for French painting masters such as Delacroix, Corot, Manet, and Renoir.
In 1920, he and his wife settled in Paris, becoming part of the group of Japanese artists who invested in the capital and its salons after World War I. There were almost 208 Japanese artists around Montmartre between 1920 and 1929. Tanaka distinguished himself with his independent art, detached from both pure Japanese art and French academicism. His compositions blended influences from French masters, Japanese exoticism, and a study of nature he learned in Seattle.
In Paris, Yasushi Tanaka participated in severals salons and exhibitions, such as the Salon d'Automne and the Salons des Artistes Indépendants. He was immediately acclaimed by critics "There is no genre where the virtuosity of his young talent has not already been demonstrated." He was particularly noted for his charming female nudes.

The painting titled "Nina" depicts a young woman posing in an interior. In this work, the artist shows his specialty, a female nude, for which he received critical acclaim. The painting demonstrates the artist's virtuosity in the art of foreshortening, as praised by his contemporaries.

This scene is characteristic of Yasushi Tanaka's work, featuring influences from Western art classics that he was familiar with, as well as an oriental atmosphere. The preference for the East is evident in the screen and the richness of the h

Ref: 4CHLAIBVC9