Influences of Japonisme and The Impressionists

 

Japonisme 

Katsushika Hokusai, “The Great Wave off Kanagawa,” ca. 1829-1833

 Ukiyo-e, or “pictures of the floating world,” helped influence and inspire the Impressionists during the Romantical Era. In 1874  French collector and critic Philippe Burty coined the term Japonisme. It was used to describe the woodblock prints that were beginning to influence European artist. Before this time frame, Japan had been closed off from the rest of the world. From the mid 1600s till the mid 1800s Japan refused to interact with Western culture. A strict social order was enforced. Merchants and artists were poorest until Dutch merchants began trading. A game changer indeed! Artist like Monet and other impressionist were inspired by ukiyo-e's. 

Katsushika Hokusai's " The Great Wave off Kanagwa" has become one of the most famous prints world wide. It was probably printed over 8,000 times or more and was a series of prints called, " 36 Views of Mt. Fuji"  Prussian blue had just become affordable and with the Industrial Revolution booming, paint was becoming easier to store as well. This gave a great contrast for print making and bolder lines in shades and tones of blue. Bringing sharper contrast and values to light. 

This picture of a floating world shows a giant wave engulfing three fishing boats hoping to make it to shore. While Mt. Fuji is the only shore you can see. An outside perspective of what Japan was enduring at the time. The blues give you an eerie cold isolating feeling. While the white caps highlight Mt. Fuji as a pillar of strength, and highest point of the island. The white snow capped peak is a beacon of hope.

I would love a copy of this print! My mother-in-love has a bathroom curtain in her winter home and made doing laundry more enjoyable during spring break ;) 

Here's a couple of fun video's, Ukiyo-e woodblock printmaking with Keizaburo Matsuzaki

and  The Great Wave by Hokusai is a 15 minute YouTube video with some fun details about this print.

*fun fact most prints were only the price of a bowl of noodles.

Impressionism and Post Impressionism

Starry Night, Vincent van Gogh 1889

Ah! My favorite Impressionist! My niece teases me that I'm a total fan girl. And if you're not, that's ok. He wasn't famous till many years later. Most of us know a bit about the man, and if you don't that's ok too. He was a Dutch artist who stayed mostly in France. His letters to his brother helped us understand his life work better and has left quite and impression behind. 

Although "Starry Night" is not a imprint on a block of wood, the style of painting looks like a carved out stamp. The bold dark likes, and contrasts of white and yellow swirls to highlight the night sky shows a similarity to a ukiyo-e. The Dark tower brings a bold perspective, and mystery to the painting. 

"The Great Wave" represents a daunting time for Japan. Much Like "Starry Night"  Van Gough was expressing his depression, "the blues". Depression is a silencer, a heavy sadness, but he was able to use his creativity to express his insides. Hokusai shows us the giant wave to express the feeling of being engulfed with angry white caps. Van Gough was able to use bright yellows with oil paints. Even if a yellow that bright was available in ink, I think white encapsulates the ink print perfectly.

Could Van Gough been inspired by "The Great Wave"? Possibly. I was reminded of "Starry Night" when I was studying "The Great Wave". I'm always in awe of the contrasts of blues and yellows. The night sky is dancing, the hills ae calm. A peaceful village sleeping. Ah what! A dark tower! Even the tower is whimsical. There is life in the shadows and our mind wonders, gets lost. The starry night sky gives us a nice reminder of light in the dark times. I especially like the reflection of light in the cloud like hugging the hills and shimmer over the town, even on the tower and it's shadow also.

Of course I have a copy! I got the baseball tee with this print. Wear it all the time!

The Scream, 1893 Edvard Munch 

The world was changing quickly and so was the art word. So much was happening! No wonder Edvard Munch was having anxiety. "The Scream" is part of Munch’s semi-autobiographical cycle “The Frieze of Life,” An Norwegian painter, 1863– 1944 who used symbolism to confront the nature of subjectivity and its visual depiction. Munch’s wrote in his diary on January 22, 1892  after strolling by the fjords during sunset. He felt like the sky was on fire and bloody he, "Sensed an endless scream passing through nature.” 

Using a simple form gave room for the use of color to express the emotions going on internally. The Neo Impressionism movement allowed for artists to explore subjects. Prior most styles were landscapes, historical or portraits. Munch felt like the sky was on fire. In real life it probably wasn't as dramatic, but inside the mind it can feel as depicted in his famous piece of work. If not careful you can be consumed by the flame. Perhaps the scream was the sigh of relieve when he was able to catch his breath. I know helping my son through his homework anxiety last night while trying to do my own was inspiration for choosing this iconic piece. I need a copy for my house. Facing fears no matter how big or small is scary, but when you can apply swirls of orange and contrast with dark tones of blues its becomes relief.

The Influence of Japonisme and Neo Impressionism wanted to document everyday life as all the changes were happening. Also an influence from the ukiyo-e style prints that showed pictures of daily life in Japan. The Industrial revolution opened up so many opportunities for the art world. Neo Impressionism allowed new styles to express the internal world. Even at the risk of horrifying. I can really appreciate their movement and how helpful it has been for me in this post modern world we are learning to navigate in still. As we can see history repeats itself. Learning root causes can be more fun through art and self discovery.

Art Nouveau

The Three Ages of Woman, 1905 by Gustav Klimt

Art Nouveau was popular from 1890-1910 during the Post Impressionism movement. The best part about creativity is getting messy and making mistakes. Learning from them as well. Neo Impressionist had a couple of leaders and were breaking free from the naturalists and the realists. Science also help with color exploration as well. Art Nouveau was a short lived style of fashion and art that was used to rebel against the acidemia. They thought art was more than math and science. It was meant to express the soul and the consciousness.

Also influenced by woodblock art and inspired by the flow of nature and her curves and twisted line. This new art wanted to adorn space with beauty. From books, play bills, to hand crafts and lamps. Especially bringing harmony and continuity to interior design and house hold items. 

Gustav Klimt is a Art Nouveau artist from Austria and was part of the Succession. A group of artist revolting from the academic. He wanted to capture the natural beauty of women. "The Three Ages of Woman" Shows a long slumped naked woman. All her wrinkles and weathered skin. I can appreciate this. There is a natural beauty for aging. The winkles tell a story. Each grove of a wrinkle comes from enduring womanhood. She is watching over the mother and child laying n a bed of flowers in circular shapes with black dots for the centers of the flowers. Klimt intentionally put a dark block behind the top part of the background. Was the background to bold and took away from the story being portrayed? The three figures become the center of the painting showing how easily time passes. 

I feel like Klimt's painting is kind of floating there like a ukiyo-e. I almost thought it was, but he uses all the space to fill with color and design to create harmony. There is a piece of silky fabric that swirls around the mothers leg that is draped around the baby and brings us to the the little handprint being left on the mothers heart. A mothers love is endless and the gift is the tiny hand prints left on our hearts. 

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Works Cited:

The Great Wave by Hokusai: Great Art Explained. https://youtu.be/IBcB_dYtGUg?si=jDCzw7g4dHI5JS8W. 3/25/24

The Unique History and Exquisite Aesthetic of Japan’s Ethereal Woodblock Prints

By Kelly Richman-Abdou on August 1, 2019. https://mymodernmet.com/ukiyo-e-japanese-woodblock-prints/. 3/25/24

How Japanese Art Influenced and Inspired European Impressionist Artists

By Kelly Richman-Abdou and Margherita Cole on June 24, 2022. https://mymodernmet.com/japanese-art-impressionism-japonisme/ . 3/25/24

Annenberg Learner. Art: The Scream. https://www.learner.org/series/art-through-time-a-global-view/dreams-and-visions/the-scream/. 3/25/24

Smarthistory. Edvard Munch, The Scream. by Dr. Noelle Paulson. https://smarthistory.org/munch-the-scream/. 3/25/24

Vincent Van Gough: Starry Night. https://www.vangoghgallery.com/painting/starry-night.html. 3/25/24

Learn About ‘The Starry Night,’ Van Gogh’s Masterpiece of Post-Impressionism By Kelly Richman-Abdou, Margherita Cole, and Jessica Stewart on July 1, 2022. https://mymodernmet.com/starry-night-van-gogh/. 3/25/24

The Art Story. https://www.theartstory.org/artist/klimt-gustav/. 3/25/24

Ukiyo-e woodblock printmaking with Keizaburo Matsuzaki. https://youtu.be/t8uF3PZ3KGQ?si=6G7K0pphmRLTSGoD. 3/26/24