As well as painting, Tsuguharu Foujita was skilled at creating woodblock illustrations and etchings, and one of his best-known commissions was for the perennial Pierre Louÿs favourite Les aventures du Roi Pausole. His minimalist illustrations, which include the animals found in Louÿs’ imaginary realm of Tryphême as well as a selection of the king’s harem, are refreshingly simple, and a welcome antidote to some of the more overly-realistic portrayals of the novel.

The Foujita-illustrated Les aventures du Roi Pausole was published by Artheme Fayard & Cie in their ‘Le livre de demain’ series. The edition was very popular, and was reprinted regularly up to 1941.