The Dancer

"The Dancer" presents a performer in an unspecified genre — possibly traditional Japanese dance, possibly Western-influenced modern dance — in a pose that captures both the artistry and the physical presence of the dancing body. Kobayakawa's dancers share the psychological directness of his bijin subjects: they are not idealized figures embodying a movement but specific individuals absorbed in the disciplined art of their performance. The absence of a specific date makes this difficult to place precisely within his career, but the subject is consistent with his mature style.