Portrait of an artist as a wild man

Published November 18, 2006 5:00am ET



Hedonist, womanizer, cross-dressing showboater, Parisian super-celeb. … How did a Japanese transplant who reveled in scandalous behavior find time to create works embraced by critics, collectors, commoners and the School of Paris?

And why on earth would he desert a painter’s utopia to illustrate propaganda for his homeland’s war machine?

Trusted reporting.Unlimited access.

Subscribe for full access to Washington Examiner coverage, expert political analysis, and subscriber-only journalism.

Get Unlimited Access

Already a member? Log in

Cancel anytime.