Lakeside

A woman in a yukata sits on a rock on the lakeshore, holding a fan to her chest and turning her face to the right. Behind her spread the still surface of the lake and the green mountains on the far shore, and the whole picture is unified in pale cool colors centered on light blue. The color and stripes of the yukata echo the color of the water, binding the lake and the woman into a single tone.

In August 1897, Kuroda stayed in Hakone with Teruko, who later became his wife, and painted this work on the shore of Lake Ashinoko. According to the recollections of Teruko, who served as the model, the work was born while Kuroda was studying the painting of water on the lakeshore day after day. It was shown the same year at the second Hakubakai exhibition under the title Hisho (Summer Retreat). At the lower left are the signature "SEIKI KOURODA" and the date 1897.

Blending Western oil painting technique with the Japanese subject of a woman cooling herself with a fan, this work represents a model of Japanese-style oil painting. It has been featured in textbooks and on stamps and has been widely loved. It is held by the Tokyo National Museum and was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1999.