Plum Tree

Bold, dynamic brushwork is used to depict a blossoming plum tree on an ocher background. The commanding presence of an Edo-period Kano school screen and a clarity reminiscent of Rimpa aesthetics are combined in the painting, and the bold composition and color combinations impart a distinctly modern character. As thickly applied oil paint gained popularity in postwar Japanese painting, Baba engaged deeply with Japanese art traditions while establishing a fresh and innovative mode of expression.
Baba Fuji was born in Takamatsu City.  He graduated from the Kagawa Prefectural School of Crafts (now Kagawa Prefectural Takamatsu Technical High School) in 1923 and from the Japanese Painting Department of the Tokyo Fine Arts School (now Tokyo University of the Arts) in 1928. He later trained under the nihonga painter Gōkura Senjin, known for his innovative approach to Japanese painting, and went on to pursue new directions in the field himself. This work received the Taikan Prize, the highest honor awarded by the Japan Art Institute, at the 39th Inten Exhibition.