Leaning Woman or Motarete Tachi no Jinja is one of the most prominent masterpieces by the renowned Japanese painter Tetsugorō Yorozu. It is one of the results of the modernist Japanese artistic experiment that was performed throughout the entire twentieth century. As can be seen from the name of the work, Leaning Woman depicts a woman who stands leaning on something in a relaxed posture. Surprisingly enough, this simple image, with the assistance of Yorozu’s skillful hand, becomes something extraordinary. The artist has skillfully used bright colors and simplified shapes, as well as applied expressive brushstrokes in order to create a real picture. However, he does not portray the actual image, but rather conveys the emotional experience that the woman is going through. Her strong and calm posture tells about the internal strength and peacefulness of the woman, inviting the audience to think about what could have happened to the model to make her become so strong and fearless. This outstanding work is the result of the artist’s long and purposeful work to portray a new way of Japanese art. Leaning Woman also reflects the current state of Japanese painting, which has been changing and transforming with every new generation and each new movement. It is especially notable that Yorozu did not only rely on the tradition and the peculiarities of Japanese painting, but, having studied the works of modern European artists, particularly Expressionists and Fauves, he managed thoroughly merge the best elements of both traditions, thus creating unique modern Japanese painting. Such works as Leaning Woman , Naked Beauty (1912), Self-Portrait with Clouds (1912-1913), Self-Portrait with Red Eyes (1912-1913), and Self-Portrait without Eyes (1915) are considered to be the results of the artist’s studies and experiments that were conducted in order to innovate the Japanese art of his time. Now Leaning Woman has become a real masterpiece that has won innumerable hearts and remains a real challenge for young artists. It is a reflection of art as a path of self-discovery, which allows the artist to not only see himself but also to form a new look at the world around him, as well as introduce people to the beauty of his country.
When I look at the artwork, the absolute first thing that grabs me is how raw and heavy those red tones are. This is Tetsugorō Yorozu’s Leaning Woman (or Motarete Tachi no Jinja), and it’s basically a massive milestone for Japanese modernism in the 20th century.
On the surface, it’s supposed to be a simple setup—just a woman relaxing and leaning against something. But Yorozu completely tosses out physical reality. Instead of painting exactly what she looks like, he uses these intense colors and aggressively simplified, almost blocky shapes to paint exactly how she feels. You can totally see the European influence here. He obviously studied the Expressionists and Fauves, but he didn't just copy their homework. He took that raw, emotional brushwork and mashed it up with his own Japanese background to invent a totally new visual language.
To me, this painting represents pure, unfiltered internal strength. Even though the geometric shapes feel a bit chaotic and the colors are super loud, her actual posture is incredibly grounded and calm. It immediately makes you wonder what kind of life she’s lived to reach that specific kind of quiet fearlessness.
My takeaway goes way beyond just the image itself. You're basically watching Yorozu figure out the future of Japanese painting in real-time. He used this piece—along with a bunch of his other famous self-portraits from that era—to push boundaries. He turned the canvas into a tool for self-discovery, breaking all the old rules to show people a completely new, modern way of looking at the world.
