Léonard Tsuguharu FOUJITA

Do you have a piece by Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita in your possession and would like to know its value? Our Experts will carry out a free appraisal of your piece, provide you with an estimate of the market price, and then help you to sell at the best possible price.

Quote, price and estimation of the artist Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita

Price of a painting signed Foujita: 20,000 – 7,000,000 €.

Estimate of a drawing or watercolour by the artist for auction: 1,000 – 100,000 €.

Status of Foujita for a print: 800 – 5,000 €

If you would like to have a painting by the artist appraised, our experts are at your disposal for a free appraisal.

Foujita: a proper childhood

Foujita is an artist of Japanese descent who has lived and created, for a large part of his life, in France where he is known as Léonard Foujita. The name Léonard, referring to the master Leonardo da Vinci.

Born in 1886 in Tokyo, Fujita was the son of a doctor who served in the Japanese Imperial Army. He grew up surrounded by three siblings in a cultivated family environment.

Foujita learnt French at an early age in primary school. He continued part of his studies at the Tokyo University of Arts, where he was taught Western painting.

In 1910, he obtained his diploma and decided to go to Paris.

Following his meeting with Pablo Picasso, Foujita was caught up in the whirlwind of modern art. He discovered cubist painting, and these various impulses encouraged him to follow in the footsteps of the avant-gardists joining the circle of artists of the École de Paris. In his central Montparnasse district, he frequented Chaim Soutine, Amedeo Modigliani and Juan Gris, artists who all became friends and enriched the art of their time.

Modernist anchoring

Foujita’s first major success on the Parisian scene was the exhibition held at Chéron’s in 1917.

He stood out for his representation of a naked young woman in a languid posture at the Salon d’Automne in 1922. The famous model Alice Ernestine Prin, more commonly known as Kiki de Montparnasse, was none other than the muse of the greatest artists of the time.

The subtlety of her features, the sensuality of her models, the exoticism adapted to a Western style with a modern touch, attracted the public and the eye of experts to Foujita. Thus, his works gradually found their way into the greatest institutions.

After a series of trips to Latin America, Foujita returned to Tokyo in 1933 where he was greeted with success. Exhibitions multiplied in spaces such as the Nichido Gallery.

During the war his political commitments to Japanese militarism and then to the Americans were badly perceived and he was heavily criticised once the war was over.

Living for a time in the United States before returning to Paris in 1950, Foujita undertook a mystical conversion and settled back from the crowds in the company of his last partner.

Foujita, a prestigious career and soaring auction prices

Foujita was awarded the title of Knight of the Legion of Honour in 1925. At this early stage of his career, he was a well-respected artist whose works sold particularly well. The artist suffered a major financial setback and, despite the splendour of those years, was forced to change his lifestyle.

He produced many artistic works. His works are either part of private collections, or kept in the most important museums in the world.

The Maillol Museum in Paris devoted a major retrospective to him in the spring of 2018, which provided an opportunity to lift the veil on the intimacy and daily life of a leading artist of the Parisian Roaring Twenties.

Foujita died of cancer in 1968 in Zurich, Switzerland.

Recognising Foujita’s signature

Like many artists, Léonard Foujita did not sign all of his works. However, you will find below an example of the signatures to give you an idea. Variations of these signatures do exist, do not hesitate to contact one of our experts to formally authenticate a signature.

Appraising and selling a piece by Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita

If you own a piece by Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita or any other object, ask for a free estimate via our online form.

You will then be contacted by a member of our team of experts and auctioneers to give you an independent view of the market price of your piece. In the context of a possible sale, our specialists will also advise you on the different options available to sell your work at the best price.