The Sound of the Bell

Catalog note / 解説

This print depicts a nude woman playing with a Pekinese dog. Sitting on a red rug, in front of a Japanese screen, she uses a small bell to get the dog’s attention. The use of the flat red color and elevated viewpoint are traditional Japanese painting methods. In the Japan Paris exhibition, there is a painting called Scarlet Rug (1932) by Mitsutani Kunishirö (1874-1936). The similarity between Mitsutani’s painting and Toraji’s print is remarkable. Ishikawa and Mitsutani were both taught by Koyama Shötarö (1857-1916), a Western-style painter. Also, both were involved in the Taiheiyö Gakai (an art organization focusing on Western-style painting and sculpture).