In 1854 Japan and the US signed a treaty that ended 200 years of Japanese isolation from the Western world. During this period of withdrawal, Japanese art developed in its own distinctive way, absorbing influences from China and South Asia. Painting was the primary art form in Japan, where, until modern times, everyone wrote with a brush. From this, the woodblock print developed into a major art form. Ukiyo art, as it is known, was originally monochrome, but later developed a palette of thirty different colours.
Features of Japanese Art
Japanese artists such as Hokusai and Hiroshige captured the everyday life of their time in inexpensive woodblock prints, which became extremely popular. They portrayed the ‘floating world’ of Edo (later renamed Tokyo) with its theatres, geishas, shrines, temples and landscapes. There were no complicated backgrounds, or excessive details. The prints focused on the subject only, and had beautiful flat planes of colour. Asymmetrical compositions and stylised poses were used.
Japonisme
When Japan opened up to the outside world in the latter half of the nineteenth century, Western artists were amazed by the beauty of Japanese art. The woodblock prints were no longer current in Japan by this time. But to the French Impressionists in particular, the work of Hokusai and his contemporaries was a revelation. ‘Japonisme’ was the name given to the influence of Japanese art on the French Impressionists, who were breaking new ground by painting scenes from everyday life. They were seeking an unusual and different aesthetic, and they incorporated many ideas from Japanese art into their own work. Hiroshige, who made many wonderful woodblock prints featuring rain, snow, mist and moonlight, was called ‘The Japanese Impressionist’. The French Impressionists found so much to connect with their own approach in his work.
Goldcrest Gallery Designs
The Goldcrest Gallery collection includes several designs which show the influence of Japanese art. ‘Anemones‘ has a simple subject which is the main focus, using flat washes. ‘Irises‘ and ‘Snowdrops‘ have the restrained palette and flat appearance of Japanese flower prints. ‘Blossom Reflections‘ depicts the cherry blossom which is so admired in Japan. In our children’s picture book, ‘A New Friend for Squirrel‘, the influence of Japanese art can be traced in many of the illustrations. There are unusual angles and asymmetrical compositions in several of the pictures, such as Squirrel showing Starling some orange peel, or telling his friends about the food he has found.
The Japanese Ukiyo woodblock prints and other forms of art, such as ceramics and laquerwork, remain an influence on Western artists to this day. And Japanese art is considered to be a formative influence on modern art itself.
Click here to view Goldcrest Gallery’s Japanese Style Edit – a curated collection of designs with Japanese influences!