熊岡義彦　KUMAOKA Yoshihiko

Yoshihiko Kumaoka formed the "Forty-Year Society" while a student at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, and in 1913 won the Kofukai Prize and his first acceptance into the Bunten Exhibition. He continued to win awards at the Bunten and Teiten Exhibitions, forming the Enju-sha in 1924, and receiving the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts Prize the following year, 1925.

His trip to Europe was from 1926 to 1929, during which he was greatly impressed by the works of Manet, Renoir, Cézanne, and Derain. This work depicts a church in Clamart, France, and the influence of these artists can be seen in the composition, which focuses on architecture, the bold way the roof is framed, and the depiction of plants.