Young Girl on a Balcony

Inscribed on reverse: Wishing you a glorious New Year, Shiga-ken, Hikonemachi, Takenaka Seidō

Dressed in a black furisode with blossoming cherry tree design, an elegant young girl stands on a Western-style veranda. Her dainty hand on the railing shows a small ring, a popular fashion of the time. In her other hand, she holds a branch of flowering sazanka, a variety of the camellia family, which fills the garden behind her.

The strong design and bold colors of this painting suggest the decorative aesthetics of the Rimpa school. Like the earlier masters, Seidō stylizes nature. Meticulously depicted with smooth outlines, white flowers and green leaves spread two-dimensionally to create an overall pattern. The flat, spatial expression is strengthened by the horizontal veranda wall with crisp geometric detailing. Seidō further heightens the graphic impact of his composition with the use of bright red in the background, likely an influence of Western modernism.

Placed in an exotic setting, the young girl asserts her presence. Black hair accentuates her delicate face while the black kimono imbues the figure with a sense of dignity. The tucked shoulders of the kimono indicate her early adolescent age, yet her open, frontal pose suggests quiet self-confidence that belies her youth.

The artist’s unique star-shaped seal is a visual pun for the first character of his name sei which means “star” and also signals his determination to be modern. Although little is known about his career, Seidō here transforms the traditional bijin genre to a strikingly up-to-date visual statement.