“Yukio Mishima, The Aesthetics of End” is an artwork created by Tadanori Yokoo in 1966, falling within the Pop Art movement and belonging to the illustration genre.
The artwork features a striking composition centered around a dark locomotive, depicted emerging from stylized waves with vivid shades of blue and white, as though bursting forth from the ocean. Above the train, radiant golden-yellow rays emerge from a golden sun, contrasting sharply against a teal sky, contributing to an almost hypnotic, radial background effect. Flanking the title, “Yukio Mishima” in bold red letters at the top, are two framed images: to the left, a photograph of a man turned slightly away; to the right, a drawing of a partially clothed woman. The juxtaposition of traditional elements, such as the sea and the sun, with modern imagery, like the locomotive, embodies the Pop Art movement’s embrace of blending genres, time periods, and styles. The artwork is rich with symbolism and vibrant colors, making an immediate and memorable impression.
