Object Details
Artist
Yasuo Kuniyoshi, born Okayama, Japan 1889-died New York City 1953
Exhibition Label
Kuniyoshi’s early drawings were often humorous, and his keen wit and interest in visual and verbal puns are evident in Remains of Lunch. This drawing unpretentiously displays the remnants of a light meal, with a demitasse spoon, cigarette butt, dollops of pear sauce, and a fluted, paper pastry cup. The artist’s widow noted that Kuniyoshi loved pears and pear sauce. Here he played with the homonyms “pear” and “pair,” matching birds, leaves, and fruits along the border of the plate. The two pears at the top lean affectionately against each other. The ink field enclosing the composition resembles a stomach in which food is being digested.
The Artistic Journey of Yasuo Kuniyoshi, 2015
Credit Line
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment
Date
1922
Object number
2003.18
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
Drawing
Medium
pen and ink, brush and ink on paper
Dimensions
13 7/8 x 10 1/2 in. (35.2 x 26.7 cm)
See more items in
Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection
Department
Graphic Arts
Data Source
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Topic
Object\other\dish
Object\fruit\pear
Object\tool\screwdriver
Link to Original Record
Record ID
saam_2003.18