The realist painter Yasui Sotaro (1888-1955) must be included in any comprehensive examination of oil painting in the twentieth century. After studying Western-style painting with Asai Chu in Kyoto, Yasui went to Paris in 1907. During his seven years in France, he assimilated many of the new developments then occurring in the art world. Paul Cézanne, in particular, had a decisive influence on Yasui, for whom Cézanne continued to have great significance throughout his life. In the latter half of his life, Yasui produced many paintings that are characterized by well-thought-out compositions and rich, captivating colors. In the early 1930s, as he was establishing his new style, Yasui also won acclaim as a masterly portrait painter. His models in the portraits he continued to produce until the end of his life included educators, literary figures, and people in political and financial circles. His portraits always began with detailed sketches and proceeded at a deliberate pace, with ample time for experimentation. Yasui has left us many masterly landscape and still life paintings, but studying his portraits alone would be sufficient to gain an appreciation of the true worth of his artistic achievements. This exhibition includes important portraits by Yasui Sotaro, plus sketches and documentary photographs, in an exploration of his creative processes, his interactions with his models, and the influence of his relationships with those who commissioned his work.