Ryūsei Kishida (岸田劉生) was a Japanese painter during the Taishō and Shōwa periods. He is best known for his realistic yōga-style (aka Western-style or 洋画) portraiture, but also for his nihonga (Japanese-style or 日本画) paintings in the 1920s. This 1913 portrait depicts his wife, Shigeru Kobayashi. In 1912, an exhibition of young painters influenced by Post-Impressionism was held in Ginza, Tokyo which included hometown artist Kishida who exhibited 14 works, including "Cloudy Day" and "Self-portrait." At the time, Kobayashi, who was studying under the Japanese painter Kiyokata Kaburagi, came to the venue and was impressed by Kishida's work. Before long, they started writing to each other, and the two got married in July of the following year, 1913. As Kishida’s wife, and as a model who responded to his sometimes unusual requests, Shigeru became a good companion who supported Kishida's life and art. Her facial features are soft, with dark almond-shaped eyes, a straight nose with a bump, and a gentle curve to her mouth. Her face is oval-shaped with strong bone structure and a skin tone that is light to medium. Her hair is long, dark, and appears to have a smooth, slightly wavy texture, styled in a way that falls past her shoulders. She is wearing a dark-colored deep purple, long-sleeved robe with small light-colored dots. The fabric appears to be heavy and substantial. Her expression is serene. She appears to be at ease, with her hands resting gently at her chest and her posture is straight and relaxed.

画家の妻 (Portrait of the Artist's Wife) by 岸田劉生 / Ryūsei Kishida (Japanese) - Oil on canvas / 1914 - Artizon Museum (Tokyo, Japan) #WomenInArt #art #ArtText #JapaneseArt #PortraitofaWoman #アーティゾン美術館 #ArtizonMuseum #RyuseiKishida #KishidaRyusei #岸田劉生 #womensart #JapaneseArtist #洋画 #oilpainting #bskyart