When “Japonisme” Swept Europe

In the last few decades of the 19th century, Japonisme swept through Europe—especially France and England. Japanese goods stores opened, and magazines featuring Japanese Art flew of the shelves; one such periodical, Artistic Japan, was published in English, French, and German. Soon after came exhibitions dedicated to ukiyo-e, including one at the École des Beaux-Arts in 1890, which Mary Cassatt attended. Van Gogh and many of his contemporaries collected Ukiyo-e prints. Monet, in particular, had an extensive collection: 231 Japanese works were kept in his home in Giverny.

This playlist showcases Impressionist work juxtaposed with their ukiyo-e inspirations (as well as a few works that don’t have direct analogs). To read more about this period in history, visit my.meural.com/editorial/55.