A woman sits on tatami mats holding an open book. The size of those large eyes looking straight ahead, the well-defined nose, long eyebrows and flushed cheeks hold the attention of the viewer. Perhaps the strong impression of the face is meant to contrast with the stark depiction of the interior. The artist, Charles Wirgman, came to Japan in 1861 as a foreign correspondent for the British newspaper The Illustrated London News and married Ozawa Kane, a Japanese woman, in 1863. Judging from her appearance, the model in this painting is thought to be Kane. Other artists such as Goseda Yoshimatsu and Takahashi Yuichi soon gathered around Wirgman, who captured many Japanese customs in watercolors and oils, and later laid the foundation for Western-style painting in Japan.
(MINAMISHIMA Ko)
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A woman sits on tatami mats holding an open book. The size of those large eyes looking straight ahead, the well-defined nose, long eyebrows and flushed cheeks hold the attention of the viewer. Perhaps the strong impression of the face is meant to contrast with the stark depiction of the interior. The artist, Charles Wirgman, came to Japan in 1861 as a foreign correspondent for the British newspaper The Illustrated London News and married Ozawa Kane, a Japanese woman, in 1863. Judging from her appearance, the model in this painting is thought to be Kane. Other artists such as Goseda Yoshimatsu and Takahashi Yuichi soon gathered around Wirgman, who captured many Japanese customs in watercolors and oils, and later laid the foundation for Western-style painting in Japan.
(MINAMISHIMA Ko)