A Stroll Through Takehisa Yumeji’s World of Beauty at the Beitou Museum
Exhibition poster for ‘Romance in the 1920s — Takehisa Yumeji and His View’
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Romance in the 1920s — Takehisa Yumeji and His View at the Beitou Museum has been the talk of the town among art enthusiasts over the last few months. On a weekday morning, I finally paid a long-awaited visit to the museum, hoping to find out more about what this exhibition has to offer.
Though it’s been more than a year since my last visit, it occurs to me that this cultural gem hidden in the mountains hasn’t changed a bit. Its historic buildings arouse a sense of nostalgia and homecoming, while its natural surrounding provides a perfect getaway from urban life.
Who is Takehisa Yumeji?
The Taisho period (1912–1926) in Japan was short but prosperous. Influenced by the ideals of Romanticism in 19th-century Europe, the Taisho period saw increasing awareness of freedom, democracy and, in particular, women’s rights. Also known as the “Taisho Romanticism” (大正ロマン), it witnessed an integration of Japanese traditions and Western influences, giving rise to a diversified cultural landscape within the country.
Takehisa Yumeji (1884–1934) was a leading figure in the Taisho Romanticism movement. He was raised in a family that showed deep appreciation for traditional performing arts. As a self-taught artist, Yumeji drew his inspirations from the Ukiyo-e traditions (a genre of woodblock prints and paintings that flourished from the Edo period in Japan) and the Art Nouveau (an ornamental style of art that flourished between 1890 and 1910 in Europe), and succeeded in developing a unique style by melding aesthetics of the East and West.
“Scroll of Winter — Poet of Nostalgia”
Yumeji was best known for his depiction of beautiful women characterised by their willow bodies, large eyes and melancholic expressions, often wearing a kimono. The so-called “Yumeji-style beauty” became synonymous with Taisho Romanticism, and had a wide impact on Japan’s cultural industry of his time.
A Stroll through the Four Seasons of Romance
Romance in the 1920s is divided into four sections: Scroll of Spring, Scroll of Summer, Scroll of Autumn, and Scroll of Winter.
‘Stroll of Spring — Minatoya Print Shop’ section
The exhibition opens with “Scroll of Spring”, where visitors are invited into a space accentuated by a nostalgic lantern in red and white hanging from the ceiling, written with six Kanji characters in black ink that translate into “Minatoya Print Shop”. The same characters can also be found on an overhead indigo-dyed banners above the display case.
In 1914, Yumeji opened the Minatoya Print Shop in Tokyo, selling an eclectic selection of products designed by himself. According to the archive, the shop sold popular woodblock prints, cute lithographs, cards, picture books, poetry books, alongside parasols, dolls, origami papers, and kimono collars for young Japanese girls.
Yumeji’s design was trendsetting and, eventually, the Minatoya Print Shop became a cultural hub that attracted young girls and literati of the time. It was also in this very shop where Yumeji met the love of his life: Kasai Hikono.
‘Stroll of Spring — Minatoya Print Shop’ section
“Scroll of Summer” revolves around Yumeji’s unique style of illustrations, showcasing a myriad of publications — from picture books to literature, magazines to poetry collections — that feature the Yumeji-style beauty.
Prior to Yumeji, Japanese painters inherited the ideals of beauty from Ukiyo-e traditions, in which beautiful women were often depicted in profiles, with delicate eyebrows and slanted eyes. Instead of sticking to the tradition, Yumeji chose to have his subject — with enlarged eyes — facing the viewer. This bold attempt laid the foundation of Japan’s kawaii culture, or the Japanese culture of cuteness, that followed. The same practice was perpetuated by later generations of manga artists, and depictions of women in modern Japanese art feature big, round eyes.
Illustration ‘Cosmetics for Autumn’ by Takehisa Yumeji (left); Travel pouch for makeup from 1920s (right)
Increasing educational opportunities for women towards the end of the Taisho period led the women to develop a sense of empowerment and self-awareness. In Japan, the so-called modern women carried short haircuts, coloured their lips with bright red lipstick, and dressed up in western-style outfits.
In “Scroll of Autumn”, we see a vivid depiction of these modern women captured by Yumeji’s paintbrush. On display, the artist’s illustrations are juxtaposed with a multitude of objects from the 1920s, including clothing, cosmetics and accessories, for visitors to have a better picture of what these modern women were like.
As a painter, designer, poet and writer , Yumeji was a “slashie” of in his time. In “Scroll of Winter”, we see how — besides illustration for magazines, picture books and poetry books — Yumeji also did illustration for magazines and poetry books for children. The variety of items on display also makes it clear that Yumeji’s reach went far beyond art, design and literature: he was also commissioned by Senoo Music Publisher to design covers for sheet music!
Woodblock print ‘Black Houseboat’ by Takehisa Yumeji
Romance in the 1920s is the fruit of a collaboration between the Beitou Museum and Minatoya Inc., a Japanese institution known for its extensive collection of Takehisa Yumeji’s work. Featuring over one hundred items, the exhibition gives us a glimpse of the widespread impact that this all-around artist has had across the arts and cultural industry in Japan.
Yumeji was an avid traveller. In addition to his travels throughout Europe and America, he was also invited to Taiwan where he delivered a public speech and held an exhibition. In this regard, there holds a special connection between Taiwan and this celebrated artist.
Let us not forget that the Beitou Museum — the place where this exhibition is held — was built in the early 1920s, making this venue a perfect place for visitors to relive the bygone era of Taisho Romanticism while appreciating this world of beauty crafted by Takehisa Yumeji.
The exhibition Romance in the 1920s — Takehisa Yumeji and His View is now on view at the Beitou Museum in Taipei city. Due to its popularity, the exhibition has been extended to July 17th, 2022.