Sound of Autumn

A woman leans against a tree, a thoughtful expression on her face, tinged with a sense of lament, helped by the somber tones of her kimono which melt into the surrounding autumnal mood. This woman is an image of both the season of autumn, and the autumnal season of life. Aoki Shigeru's works rich in literary allusion were spotted by the art world while he was still a student in the Western-style Painting Department of Tokyo School of Fine Arts (Tokyo Bijutsu Gakko). Aoki had to leave the school before completing his degree, returning to his hometown of Kurume in 1907 to assume the headship of his family. This work was painted at that time and is an image of his friend's sister Hayakawa Itoyo. Aoki did not have an opportunity to display this work in a public exhibition, and in the end Aoki did not return to central art world. Aoki quarreled with his family and set out on a wandering life-style until the end of his young life.