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Lot Essay
Shirozake portrays a lovely girl on the margin of adulthood. Her lone figure fills the center of the painting, kneeling with a quiet poise that acknowledges the formality of the moment. The strong composition is supported by the restrained use of color: the black of her hair and lacquer dish, the bold blue and red of her dress, the glowing flesh tones. We know the day from a glance at the pastel Hina Sembei or Girl’s Day sweets on folded white paper before her. She faces a light beyond the edge of the painting, and Harumi renders the shadows with a fine scatter of gold and sumi ink. Deeper and softer blues in the velvety rendering of the dress reveal the same play of light, and contrast with the glowing tones of her hands and face. The subject of this painting is one of two sisters depicted in Harumi’s painting Clover, exhibited at the 15th Teiten in 1934 and now in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Harumi was born in Saga Prefecture. After moving to Tokyo in 1927 at the age of 19 he first studied Western-style oil painting (yoga) with Kajiwara Kango (1887-1958). Subsequently he entered the atelier of the Nihonga, or Japanese-style painter Ito Shinsui (1898-1972). In 1931, his painting "Shukujo" (Elegant ladies) (sold in these Rooms, 22 September, 2005, lot 201) was accepted for the 12th Teiten and won a prize. He is considered to be one of the major figure painters of his time and specialized in the genre of bijinga, or "beauty" painting.
In 1950, Harumi became a founding member of Jitsugetsusha with Ito Shinsui. He eventually became an administrator for this group. In 1954, he changed his name to Haruyoshi and exhibited under the name "Haruyoshi" in a one-man show at Nihonbashi Takashimaya Department Store Gallery in 1955. From 1963 he served as a juror for the Nitten. He also often wrote the reviews for Nitten catalogues. Harumi exhibited continuously in all the major government-sponsored exhibitions (Teiten, Shin Bunten, Nitten, Hoshukuten and so on) throughout his career and won awards.
In 1993, the Saga prefectural government established a memorial museum for Harumi. He died in Atami (Shizuoka Prefecture) in 1994. His eldest son, Tateishi Hideharu, who is also a Nihonga artist, lives in Yugawara (near Atami).
Harumi was born in Saga Prefecture. After moving to Tokyo in 1927 at the age of 19 he first studied Western-style oil painting (yoga) with Kajiwara Kango (1887-1958). Subsequently he entered the atelier of the Nihonga, or Japanese-style painter Ito Shinsui (1898-1972). In 1931, his painting "Shukujo" (Elegant ladies) (sold in these Rooms, 22 September, 2005, lot 201) was accepted for the 12th Teiten and won a prize. He is considered to be one of the major figure painters of his time and specialized in the genre of bijinga, or "beauty" painting.
In 1950, Harumi became a founding member of Jitsugetsusha with Ito Shinsui. He eventually became an administrator for this group. In 1954, he changed his name to Haruyoshi and exhibited under the name "Haruyoshi" in a one-man show at Nihonbashi Takashimaya Department Store Gallery in 1955. From 1963 he served as a juror for the Nitten. He also often wrote the reviews for Nitten catalogues. Harumi exhibited continuously in all the major government-sponsored exhibitions (Teiten, Shin Bunten, Nitten, Hoshukuten and so on) throughout his career and won awards.
In 1993, the Saga prefectural government established a memorial museum for Harumi. He died in Atami (Shizuoka Prefecture) in 1994. His eldest son, Tateishi Hideharu, who is also a Nihonga artist, lives in Yugawara (near Atami).