HONG KONG.- Fresh from the record-breaking success of the sale of Masterpieces from The Lewis Collection in London*, Sotheby's is set to present its first dedicated single-artist auction in Asia, The Foujita Lexicon: Works from the Lewis Collection, on 28 September at Sotheby’s Maison, Hong Kong. Estimated at HK$17.8m - 26.5m / US$2.3m - 3.45m, the sale brings together 15 masterpieces by Lonard Tsuguharu Foujita from the renowned Lewis Collection. Assembled over three decades with passion and discernment, these works form one of the most celebrated private collections devoted to the artist and collectively represent the most comprehensive offering of Foujita's work ever presented at auction in the region.
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The Glory of the Line: Foujita
Artist caught between East and West
Explore Foujita’s remarkable artistic life through line, portraiture, Paris modernism, Japanese identity, and the cultural tensions that shaped one of the twentieth century’s most distinctive painters.
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Marking the 140th anniversary of Foujita’s birth, the collection traces six decades of the artist’s remarkable career across geographies and mediums, offering a rare survey of one of the most distinctive and influential figures of the School of Paris. Rising to prominence within the vibrant Montparnasse community of 1920s Paris, Foujita moved in the same artistic circles as Amedeo Modigliani and Pablo Picasso, and counted Cham Soutine, Henri Matisse and Fernand Lger among his peers. His unique fusion of Japanese and European artistic traditions established him as one of the defining voices of the era, securing his place among the artists who transformed 20th-century art.
Often described as a cultural bridge between East and West, Foujita became celebrated for his instantly recognisable style and enduringly popular subjects, from self-portraits and female nudes to cats and scenes of Parisian life. The Lewis Collection captures the breadth of this artistic legacy through a group of works that reveal the singular vision that made him one of the most original artists of his generation.
“The Foujita Lexicon represents the culmination of more than three decades of dedicated collecting by the Lewis family, whose enduring commitment to Foujita reflects the artist's exceptional standing in art history and continued relevance today. Spanning every major chapter of his career, the collection captures the extraordinary breadth of his achievement across subjects, mediums and geographies. As the most comprehensive group of Foujita works ever offered in Asia, it offers a rare opportunity to appreciate an artist whose unique synthesis of Japanese and European traditions established him as one of the defining figures of 20th century art.” -- Evelyn Lin, Chairman, Modern and Contemporary Art, Sotheby’s Asia
Among the 15 masterpieces in the collection, Mon portrait (1924) stands as a landmark self-portrait created at the height of Foujita's celebrated Montparnasse years. Painted at a time when the artist was enjoying the company of influential contemporaries such as Picasso and Modigliani and cementing his reputation within the cole de Paris, the work captures Foujita at the moment he emerged as an international artistic figure. Throughout his career, self-portraiture served as a defining means through which he shaped and projected his public image, and Mon portrait remains one of his most significant explorations of identity and self-fashioning.
Another highlight, Madeleine endormie, holds particular significance for the Lewis family as the first Foujita they acquired in 1992. The painting sparked a lifelong passion for the artist and laid the foundation for what would become one of the most important private collections of Foujita's work, reflecting the deeply personal journey that shaped the collection over decades.
“Foujita occupies a special place in our collection. From the first drawing we acquired in 1992 to our most recent purchase nearly 25 years later, his unique sensibility and approach to figuration have long been a source of fascination for us. His works sit perfectly alongside the other Modern masters in our collection such as Modigliani and Picasso, while always retaining a character entirely of their own. We are thrilled to see our Foujita collection presented together here, and hope that these works will be as inspiring to others as they have been for us.” -- Spokesperson for the Lewis Collection
Le rve (Hommage La Fontaine), oil and ink on canvas, 76.7 x 64 cm. Executed in New York in 1949. Estimate: HK$4,000,000 - 6,000,000 / US$520,000 - 780,000
Another major highlight is Le rve (Hommage La Fontaine), painted in 1949 during a transformative period as Foujita rebuilt his international reputation following his American sojourn. One of only four known works from this pivotal series of Hommage La Fontaine, the painting is exceptionally rare: two examples reside in museum collections, while another set the artist's auction record. Widely regarded as the finest example remaining in private hands, Le rve (Hommage La Fontaine) was inspired by the French fable tradition and depicts a sleeping fox family in a scene of remarkable tranquillity. The work offers a rare expression of optimism, tenderness and emotional resolution within the artist's oeuvre.
Sotheby's Asia presents The Foujita Lexicon: Works from the Lewis Collection, the most comprehensive Foujita collection ever offered in Asia as the first dedicated single-artist auction in the region on 28 September at Sotheby’s Maison, Hong Kong.
A Closer Look
Mon portrait, watercolour and pen and ink on silk, 44.5 x 31.5 cm. Executed in 1924. Estimate: HK$800,000 - 1,200,000 / US$104,000 - 156,000
Painted in 1924, at the height of Foujita's celebrated Paris years, Mon portrait is one of the earliest and most definitive expressions of his iconic Montparnasse persona. The work captures the artist as he emerged as a leading figure of the cole de Paris, confidently presenting the cultural duality that would become the hallmark of his art.
Seated at his desk, Foujita surrounds himself with objects that reflect both his Japanese heritage and his life in Europe. Traditional East Asian calligraphy tools share the composition with Western possessions, creating a visual manifesto of the artistic synthesis that distinguished his practice.
Regarded as the first fully realised self-portrait of his Paris period, Mon portrait established the image that would come to define the artist: the bowl haircut, round spectacles and pipe that made him one of the most recognisable figures in 1920s Montparnasse. Rendered with elegant calligraphic lines on silk and a masterful use of negative space, the work occupies a pivotal place within Foujita's oeuvre. Self-portraits of this importance are exceptionally rare at auction, with comparable examples seldom appearing on the market.
Le rve (Hommage La Fontaine), oil and ink on canvas, 76.7 x 64 cm. Executed in New York in 1949. Estimate: HK$4,000,000 - 6,000,000 / US$520,000 - 780,000
Painted in 1949, Le rve (Hommage La Fontaine) was created during a pivotal period in Lonard Tsuguharu Foujita's life and career. Executed during the artist's stay in New York, the work dates from a moment of personal reunion and professional resurgence. Following the arrival of his wife, Kimiyo, in the United States, the couple prepared for Foujita's acclaimed solo exhibition at the Mathias Komor Gallery later that year, a presentation that helped re-establish his international standing and marked an important step toward his eventual return to Paris.
Le rve (Hommage La Fontaine) is one of only four known fox paintings executed during Foujita's American sojourn of 1949-50, a brief yet significant chapter within his oeuvre. Inspired by the enduring tradition of French fables, the series represents a rare and highly distinctive body of work. With two examples now held in Japanese institutional collections, Le rve stands among the most important and elusive works from this period to remain in private hands.
Drawing inspiration from the fables of Jean de La Fontaine, the composition depicts a sleeping fox resting within a family den, surrounded by his mate and cubs. Distinguished by its intimacy and remarkable delicacy, the painting exemplifies Foujita's mastery in depicting the animal world with both sensitivity and refinement.
Beneath its apparent simplicity, the composition resonates with themes of family, harmony and shelter, lending the work an enduring emotional appeal. Above the fox family, Foujita includes a painted image inspired by Jean-Franois Millet's Gust of Wind, in which a fox struggles against a storm. Set against the serenity of the family den, this subtle contrast reinforces the work's themes of refuge, harmony and renewal.
Other Highlights
• Chatte et chaton, oil, pen and ink on canvas, 46 by 55 cm. Executed in 1932. Estimate: HK$2,000,000 - 3,000,000 / US$260,000 - 390,000
• Madeleine endormie, pen and ink, ink wash and watercolor on paper, 33 by 41 cm. Executed in 1933. Estimate: HK$300,000 - 500,000 / US$39,000 - 65,000
• Nu assoupi sur la table, oil on canvas, 98.6 x 80.3 cm. Executed in 1927. Estimate: HK$2,000,000 - 3,000,000 / US$260,000 - 390,000
