Make-up

"Make-up," from 1930, depicts the act of cosmetic application as Kobayakawa's signature subject: a woman in the process of transforming her face through the modern cosmetic practices of the interwar period. The moment captured is one of concentration and self-regard — the woman looks at her own reflection, applying the products that will complete her public presentation. Kobayakawa treats this mundane act with the same seriousness that traditional bijin-ga artists devoted to classical poses and seasonal settings, asserting its equal cultural weight.