Body Painting Japanies Now

Western Art  Japonism  European Art With a Japanese Touch

Japonism - The History
The literal meaning of the French term Japonism, or Japonisme, is Japanese influence. French writer Jules Claretie (1840-1913) coined it in the book 'L'Art Francais en 1872,' to describe the impact of Japanese style on the European Art. Later, the word was adopted in English language as well. After almost 200 years of economic isolation, Japan opened up its channels for international trade around the mid-nineteenth century. This also opened up the route for social and artistic exploration. The Japanese Art forms became a huge fascination for the Western world when the World Exhibition of 1867 was held in Paris.
The Details
Japanese woodblock printing, Ukiyo-e, was among the first forms to make inroads in the Western Art. Asymmetrical patterns, flat (one-dimensional) designs, and bold lines characterize these works. The impact of such art did not remain confined to individual artists. Rather, it became a defining influence in the rise of significant genres, such as Impressionism, Cubism, and French style, Art Nouveau.
The Arts
A large body of work by the ace painter Vincent Van Gogh (Dutch 1853-90) carried a marked impact of Japanese woodblock prints. Japonism was a visible feature in the works of other well-known French artists also, including Pierre Bonnard (1867-1947), Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901), Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (1848-1903), Mary Cassatt (1844-1926), Claude Monet (1840-1926), Edgar Degas (1834-1917), and Gustav Klimt (Austrian - 1862-1918).
The Artworks

Gogh's 1887 oil work, 'Agostina Segatori Sitting in the Cafe' du Tambourin' features block prints, intricately fused with the green background. He created two pieces titled, 'Portrait of Pere Tanguy,' during 1887-88. It portrays evidently Japanese patterns at the back of the main figure. Van Gogh's 'Almond Blossom,' 'Butterflies and Poppies,' 'La courtisane,' 'The Blooming Plum Tree,' and 'Blossoming Acacia Branches' from his 1887 to 1890 collection, are some of the other examples of Japonism in his style.