Japanese art in nineteenth century in Europe

 

When Japan started to trade with the west in the 1850’s, the Japanese style influenced the western artists such as Vincent Van Gogh, Edgar Degas and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec among others.  

 

Examples of artists that were influenced by Japanese art:

 

Edgar Degas

Degas began to collect Japanese ukiyo-e prints which these prints influenced his painting style. Sometimes his figures are placed uneven and on a diagonal and his compositions are cropped by the edge of the canvas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Edgar Degas - Woman combing her hair

 

 

 

Vincent Van Gogh

Even Van Gogh was influenced by the ukiyo-e printings. He painted his paintings with the reed pen.

 

 

 

 

 

                          Vincent van Gogh
            Japonaiserie: Oiran (after Kesai Eisen)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Toulouse-Lautrec was influenced by the Japanese art that he saw in Paris. He started to do posters by using the Japanese woodcut. His style was bold, flat and full of movement as he experimented with lithographic techniques.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the Moulin Rouge: La Goulue and Her Sister, 1892
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (French, 1864–1901)

 

 

 

 References:

 

Japanese Woodblock Print. 2013. Japanese Woodblock Print. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.mylearning.org/japanese-woodblock-print/p-319/. [Accessed 15 May 2013].