Japonoisme is a term that was first used by Jules Claretie in his book L'Art Francais en 1872 published in that year. Since Japan re-opened to trade with the West in 1854, Japanese woodcuts, screens, fans and other arts had been pouring into Europe. The 1862 World Fair and exhibitions in Europe brought further attention to Japanese art. 'Japonisme' referred to the influence of Japan on European and American artists.
Western artists began to adopt many of the stylistic features of Japanese art - pure colours, curved lines, movement and two-dimensional spaces. Also, traditional Japanese subject matter, like gardens, prostitution and theatre, were transposed onto the canvases of Western painters.
Some of the artists who were influenced by Japanese art were Whistler, Monet, Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, Cassatt, Gaugin and others. Each borrowed unique principles from Japanese work. For instance, Degas used stylistic tools, like strong colour and an elongated picture format. Toulouse-Lautrec, on the other hand, based his famous posters on Kabuki theatre prints. Cassatt was greatly influenced by Japanese woodcuts.
Western artists began to adopt many of the stylistic features of Japanese art - pure colours, curved lines, movement and two-dimensional spaces. Also, traditional Japanese subject matter, like gardens, prostitution and theatre, were transposed onto the canvases of Western painters.
Some of the artists who were influenced by Japanese art were Whistler, Monet, Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, Cassatt, Gaugin and others. Each borrowed unique principles from Japanese work. For instance, Degas used stylistic tools, like strong colour and an elongated picture format. Toulouse-Lautrec, on the other hand, based his famous posters on Kabuki theatre prints. Cassatt was greatly influenced by Japanese woodcuts.
