Matsumi Kanemitsu
Old Man and Young Boy
1953
Scroll
Matsumi Kanemitsu
Old Man and Young Boy
1953
Physical Qualities
Pen and brush and black ink and wash on paper, Sheet: 280 × 230 mm. (11 × 9 1/16 in.)
Credit Line
Bequest of J. Blankfard Martenet
Object Number
1957.216.2
Here, a stiff-looking elder and smiling young child in a sailor suit offer a nostalgic view of a past Kanemitsu had left far behind. This image, which resembles archival photographs of the period, is likely based on a family snapshot taken of Kanemitsu as a child with his grandfather. Kanemitsu described his childhood as a fantasy, with happy but often solitary memories of growing up in a rural, traditional household with aging guardians.
Leslie Cozzi, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Matsumi Kanemitsu: Figure and Fantasy," May 14 - October 8, 2023.
Inscribed: Recto: upper left, in black ink: "M Kanemitsu / 1953"; Verso: lower left, in graphite: "$30.00 / Little boy & old man / For 860 gallery"
Markings: None
