Nude

According to the painter, this is a painting of "the eternal woman," the ideal, the source of mankind's longing for everlasting beauty. This painting seeks a "harmonious beauty resonant with various virtues," in other words, a search for an expression of loftiness and purity that surpasses mere nationality, religion or gender. The erotic and yet somehow solemn figure is reminiscent of sculptures of Hindu deities from the Ajanta caves or images of Avalokitesvara. On the other hand the composition with its depiction of a female close-up and landscape in the far distance is the same as that seen in Leonardo's Mona Lisa. The figure of the swan left in underpainting form of course hints at the Greek myth of Leda. After attaining the creation of this female form that surpasses anything from the earthly realm, Kagaku chose to never again paint any woman from the real world.