Cover of Akiko Yosano 'midare-gami'(disordered Hair) 1901

Fujishima Takeji made this book cover for Akiko Yosano’s poetry collection ‘midare-gami’ with graphic ink and watercolor. Look at how the heart shape embraces the flowing pink lines, the green outline almost like a protective contour! You can tell that this was made as part of a process of exploring love and expression. The texture is very flat and opaque, but the pink of the hair has a wonderful, soft quality. The way the lines loop and curl feels really intimate, like sharing a secret. Then below the heart we have these floral designs and the script-like marks trailing down, giving the impression of growth, from the heart to the page. The calligraphy seems to want to explode into flowers and vines. This piece makes me think of Aubrey Beardsley’s illustrations, and that similar emphasis on flowing lines as emotional expression. Art is a conversation, don’t you think? It’s always asking questions, never really giving answers.