News & Events

Bumpei Usui, Summer Afternoon (Sunday Afternoon), 1928 (1929,Independent Artists Exhibition)

Four women are enjoying a picnic under the shade of a tree
in a park with newspapers on the ground. The box in the
center has the words “Delicious Milk Chocolate” and details
of the newspaper article.


The New York Shimpo wrote, “An interesting image of four
flappers having a picnic under the shade of a tree in Central
Park, with newspapers laid out in the background, depicting
the ponds and rocks of Central Park as if they were painted
in secret. On the mats of newspapers scattered around the
area, the artist has painted in detail everything from Zeff’s
drawing of a man to a picture of a candy box lid. The clear
depiction of boats and figures on the pond, as well as the
individual grasses, at least in part, detracted from the effect
of the painting. If he had used these details on the four
women, he would have created a masterpiece of his
generation. (Ishigaki Eitaro, “Monks’ Camp: Miscellaneous Thoughts on
the Independent Art Exhibition,” New York Shimpo, March
13, 1929).