Yumeji's Kawaii 019（『若草』表紙イラストレーション）"Wakakusa" Cover Illustration

明治末から昭和初期にかけて、夢二は数多くの雑誌表紙に筆をとりました。女性や少女、児童を対象にした雑誌と並行して、文芸雑誌の表紙を夢二は多く飾っています。

『若草』は大正末期に刊行された文芸雑誌ですが、夢二による表紙イラストレーションは、通（つう）好みで難解な見た目ではなく、描写表現に選んだモチーフ、色遣い等“かわいい”要素が多様に取り入れられ、現代人が眼にしても洗練されたデザインが際立っています。創刊からしばらくは女性を表紙絵の題材にしましたが、以後は動・植物から幾何学模様まで、幅広い表現を試みました。

大衆向けの“ポップ”な印象に加え、時代を先駆けて目新しくしゃれた“ハイカラ”なセンスを取り入れて、夢二は“かわいい”表紙絵を描き表しました。 ★★★ From the end of the Meiji period (1868-1912) to the early Showa period (1926-1989), Yumeji took up his brush to design numerous magazine covers. In addition to magazines aimed at women, girls, and children, he also graced the covers of many literary magazines.

"Wakakusa" is a literary magazine published at the end of the Taisho period (1912-1926), and Yumeji's cover illustrations are not difficult to understand for connoisseurs; rather, they incorporate a variety of "cute" elements in the motifs and colors chosen for their depictions, making their sophisticated designs stand out even to modern eyes. For a while after the magazine's launch, he focused on women as the subject of his cover art, but later experimented with a wide range of expressions, from animals and plants to geometric patterns.

In addition to a "pop" impression aimed at the masses, Yumeji created "kawaii (cute)" cover illustrations by incorporating a new, stylish, "high-fashion" sensibility that was ahead of its time.