The birth of artistic creation is often accompanied by legendary stories and figures. This is particularly evident during the turning point of 20th-century modern art, where many artworks are intertwined with the artists and their inspiring muses. During that time, Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita who resided in the Parisian art scene, also had his own muse in his artistic career. One such person was Youki. Foujita first met Youki, whose real name was Lucie Badoud in 1923. Youki literally meant “little snow”, which Foujita adopted for Badoud because of her fair, snow-like complexion. They fell in love and got married, until 1931 when the couple broke up. Over those 10 years, Foujita intensively explored the theme of the female nude, it becomes evident that Youki served as Foujita's important model and muse, played a significant role in inspiring these series. Foujita possessed a keen awareness of the scarcity of female nude subjects in traditional Japanese painting, while simultaneously recognizing its esteemed status as a timeless theme in Western art history—a means to celebrate the aesthetic beauty of the human body and the inherent qualities of femininity. As an artist deeply rooted in the vibrant Parisian art scene and fully immersed in the transformative currents of modern art, Foujita embraced the opportunity to paint nude painting as a means of personal challenge. Through this pursuit, he sought to rejuvenate and enrich Eastern art, while wholeheartedly dedicating himself to the creation of works centered around the theme of "Youki". In 1927, Foujita created Portrait de Youki allongée, which seamlessly blends his expectations for the nude subject with the abundant inspiration provided by Youki.
In Portrait de Youki allongée, Foujita experimented with a unique painting material that offered a new colour and texture. Not only does the painting depict Youki’s spirit and physical form, but also it conveys the soft, glowing texture of her skin. In addition to the visual effect, it also evokes the sense of touch. The artist first spread the material, a mixture of animal glue, lead white and calcium carbonate, across the canvas as a base, then used fine sandpaper to polish the material to a smooth, gleaming milky-white surface whose texture is almost like marble stones. The result is a smooth, fluid, glaze-like effect akin to the glow of the skin. The artist applied grey paint for the body parts in the shade – on one hand, it shows the subtle contrasts on the skin, as if the body is covered by a divine light; on the other hand, it conveys a smooth, three-dimensional sense of volume akin to a marble statue or the folds of fabrics. On top of the layers of colours, Foujita used fine lines to draw his model’s voluptuous body. Intricate, accurate and delicate, the lines convey the softness and allure of her body. Additionally, Foujita’s nude paintings from the 1920s were minimalistic and ethereal. Portrait de Youki allongée includes large areas of white painted with a milky white pigment in the background, a distinct contrast with lines in black ink using a Japanese style of drawing. The contrast between black and white was exceptionally pure and tranquil. Underneath the white pigment, one can just about see the milky-white and grey colours seeping through, creating in a rich and thick milky-white effect, adding an unprecedented, gentle and Eastern femininity to the genre of nude paintings.
Youki's presence left an indelible mark on Foujita's artistic endeavors, profoundly shaping his creative expression profoundly. It ignited the artist's exploration and groundbreaking innovations in the realm of nude subjects, capturing the attention and earning accolades during a golden era of artistic achievement. This period stands as a momentous milestone in Foujita's career, as it fueled his relentless pursuit of both the nude theme and the inherent beauty of the human form. Today, Foujita's works endure as timeless classics of Japanese modern art, with Youki serving as an indispensable and integral muse, guiding his artistic journey.
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藝術創作的誕生總伴隨有傳奇的故事與人物。這在20世紀現代藝術轉折之時尤為明顯，不少作品背後牽涉到藝術家與他的靈感繆斯。當時身處巴黎藝圈的藤田嗣治在創作生涯亦曾擁有他的繆斯，從她身上取得創新的靈感，當中尤以小雪和他的作品關係密切。1923年，藤田邂逅原名露西．芭社的小雪，「小雪」是藤田因其肌膚勝雪而為她取的昵稱。從當時的照片來看，也正好印證了這一點。兩人隨後相戀、結婚，直到1931年分手，近十年間正好重疊著藤田全力發展裸女、甚至是夢中裸女的時期，從中可以想見小雪作為藤田的模特和繆斯，對此系列的啟發不少。藤田曾經敏銳地察覺到在日本繪畫傳統裡，裸女畫題是相當稀少的，然而在西方藝術史中卻是一個經典的題材，用以歌頌人體的美感和女性的特質。作為一位立足於巴黎藝圈、身處現代藝術轉變潮流之中的藝術家，藤田早已將裸體繪畫視為一個挑戰自我的機會，以此來革新並豐富東洋藝術，使他更加全心投入地創作以「小雪」為題材的作品。1927年，藤田創作的《小雪卧姿肖像》完美結合了他對裸體主題的期望以及小雪給予他的豐富靈感，並將其視為其個人風格的代表之一。
在《小雪卧姿肖像》中，藤田嗣治研製獨特的繪畫顏料，呈現嶄新的色彩質感，不單勾勒小雪之形神，又兼而表達她肌膚的柔潤亮澤質感，在視覺以外，也帶動觀眾觸感的聯想。他一方面他以動物膠、鉛白及碳酸鈣掃上畫布作為基底，再以細砂紙打磨出平滑亮澤的表面，又呈現出帶有乳白、近於大理石的質感，以油彩強調了小雪輕清柔潤如雪的肌膚質感。藤田在油彩和日本墨料中混入滑石粉，使色彩流轉順滑，表現如釉彩般的肌膚光澤。以灰色油彩在身體背光處，各處點綴陰影，既反襯出肌膚上光暗之微妙對比，彷佛女體身上瀰漫了一層聖潔的光華，也傳達人物如大理石雕塑般的圓融立體量感，或是布幔的褶紋。色彩層之上，他以纖毫細線勾勒出小雪豐滿圓融的胴體，工筆、細膩流轉變化的線條，傳達了小雪身軀的嫵媚軟綿之態。此外，藤田在1920年代的裸女畫題偏向確立一種簡約空靈的畫面感，《小雪卧姿肖像》畫面上大面積的背景留白，只以乳白色彩滿塗，與日本黑墨線條形成黑與白的反差，純粹而又靜謐。白色油彩微微滲透乳、灰色調，混合而為豐厚之乳白色調，為裸女畫題注入了西方前所未見，東方之溫婉蘊藉女性情調。
小雪對藤田的藝術創作產生了深遠的影響，她的存在激發了他對裸體主題的探索和創新，更在當時這段黃金時期引起了廣泛的關注和讚譽，成為了他藝術生涯中的重要里程碑之一，同時也激發了他對裸體主題和人體美的追求。藤田嗣治的作品至今仍然被視為日本現代藝術的經典之一，而小雪則成為了他創作過程中不可或缺的重要存在。