The Geisha and the Black Cat Bookmark

A young graceful geisha, caressing her long slender black cat, conveys Yumeji Takehisa's penchant for painting beautiful women. As an early 20th century artist, Takehisa updates the Japanese fascination with geishas as well as felines, combining them into pure popular culture.

Yumeji Takehisa (1884 - 1934) was a Japanese poet and painter born in Oku, Okayama, Japan. He planned to become a poet but began drawing pictures, knowing he could not make a living as a poet.

With no formal training, he received poor reviews from the art establishment. His work, though, gained great popularity with ordinary people -- and is still admired today.