Everyday Elegance: Modern Western Makeup Sets
The Pola Museum of Art in Hakone is currently hosting a collection exhibition entitled "Everyday Elegance - Modern Western Makeup Sets." [Top image: Rose-colored Glass Makeup Set, circa 1940. Photo: Ken Kato, Pola Museum of Art]
This exhibition focuses on makeup sets used in modern Western fashion from the late 19th century to the early 20th century, showcasing the evolution of their beauty and functionality. Comprising a mirror, brush, powder box, and other items, makeup sets are not only tools for grooming, but are also characterized by their beautiful designs and the use of materials that are meticulously crafted down to the smallest detail.
Modern Western cosmetic tools, which combine functionality and decorativeness, were created for practical purposes, yet are decorated in detail to convey the sensibility of the time, which sought to incorporate beauty into everyday life. They strongly reflect the social background and technological innovations of the time, and reveal the changes in values and lifestyles surrounding dressing.
Left: Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Girl in a Lace Hat, 1891
Center: Pierre-Auguste Renoir, "Hair Ornament," 1888 Right: Fernand Léger, "Woman with a Mirror," 1920
The Pola Museum of Art, located in Hakone, surrounded by nature, is based on the collection assembled by Suzuki Tsuneji, the second generation of the Pola founding family, and houses modern Western paintings by artists such as Manet and Renoir.
Through the use of makeup sets that have been used daily in the modern West, why not quietly reflect on the meaning of dressing up and the aesthetic sense that lives in our lives?
"Everyday Elegance - Modern Western Makeup Sets"
Dates: Saturday, December 13, 2025 - Sunday, May 31, 2026 Open every day
Venue: Pola Museum of Art, Exhibition Room 4
Click here for the event: https://magcul.net/315666?lang=en
