Japonisme, Parisme

You may have heard about Japonisme – the influence Japanese art had on Western art in the 19th century, after Japanese ports reopened in 1854, having been closed to the West for over 200 years. I posted about 8 Great Artists Inspired by Japanese Art a while back. Artists like Van Gogh, Degas, and Toulouse Lautrec saw the artistic creativity of Japanese non-realist art, and were inspired to paint works mimicking their color palette of secondary and tertiary colors, asymmetrical compositions, and creative expressions of form. I hear a lot about Japonisme. I love it. What I haven’t heard as much about is the influence the West had on Japanese artists.

Although depictions of beautiful women were one of the primary subjects of ukiyo-e woodblock prints, before the 19th century, the completely nude body as an independent form was rare in Japanese art. Japanese figures were usually stylized presentations showcasing hairstyles, kimono and textile designs. What the figures were wearing and how they were wearing it was more important than the form of the body. So, Japanese artists contributed color, abstraction, and asymmetrical composition to the West, and the West contributed … casually naked women. As an official spokesperson for all Western Artists, all I have to say is “You’re welcome.”

I recently got to see a few of these very Parisian looking woodblock prints, made by a Ishikawa Toraji (1875-1964). What Western artists do these compositions remind you of?

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