Tsuguharu Foujita "lying Cat" Large Original Drawing Signed Framed Buenos Aires 1932

FOUJITA (Tsuguharu Léonard) – Lying cat.
Large original drawing, very finely executed in Indian ink with a small brown watercolor highlight on the snout, on strong vellum, presented under marie-louise in a gilded frame with gold leaf.
Dimensions: Drawing: 150 x 190 mm – Sheet: 280 x 225 mm – Frame: 460 x 385 mm.
3 small spots of foxing, otherwise very good condition
Autograph dedication signed by Foujita in the lower part :
“For Lucio my Friend, Foujita, Bs. As. [Buenos Aires], 1932”
This drawing was executed as a dedication on the page of custody of the work by Paul Morand, Foujita, P., Editions des Chroniques du jour, 1928 (copy in poor condition, it can be provided to the buyer on request).
Rare large, very accomplished drawing on one of the artist's favorite subjects; its size and finesse demonstrate the great interest Foujita had in the dedicatee.
From December 1931 to June 1933, Foujita, accompanied by Madeleine Lequeux, his companion, made a long stay in South America. After 4 months in Brazil, he also spent 4 months in Argentina (from the end of March-beginning of April to July 1932) where he was celebrated everywhere: “honors, visits and receptions followed one another in embassies and large families (…). Criticism in Argentina, stronghold of great French art collectors, reserves the most attentive welcome for the Japanese painter (…). Most large families add works by the Japanese painter to their collection” (Buisson, Foujita, his life, his work, pp. 93-95).
Regarding the dedicatee, we can hypothesize that it is Doctor Lucio Garcia (Lucio Andrés García López, born November 30, 1889 in San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina, and died March 27, 1974 in Buenos Aires ). In fact, on April 24, 2024, an ink and watercolor representing a woman in three-quarter view, bearing the following dedication: “To Dr. Lucio García, was put up for auction by the firm JC Naón & Cia, of Buenos Aires, on April 24, 2024. , in memory, FOUJITA, Buenos Aires”. This drawing, also dated 1932, came from the Enriqueta Garcia del Solar Dorrego collection by Santamarina, daughter of Doctor Garcia, who died on August 24, 2022.