The Paris
International Exposition of 1867 brought Japanese art into France, signaling
the beginning of Japonism, and to the attention of the prominent artists of the
time, such as Monet, Manet, and Degas.[1]
Monet especially was heavily influenced by Japanese printmaking,
screen-painting, and woodblocking. Monet
delighted in the linearity and stylizations of Japanese prints, which was shown
in the monochrome color schemes of his paintings. [2] Japanese
art shaped the way he saw landscapes, nature, and modern life. [3] Monet collected many Japanese
art prints during his life, and as he was constantly surrounded by this art style,
he incorporated it into his style very often.
The origin of Monet’s fascination with Japanese art is unknown. Monet claimed that he came across some Japanese prints when he was 16 or 17, but there is nothing in his work or letters prior to The Garden at Sainte-Adresse that suggests that he came across Japanese art at an early age. [4] Monet was fascinated with the way that color was used in Japanese woodprints- the way that the color was set down in large areas with striking contrasts. He also seemed very interested in the academic violations seen in the Japanese art, such as the way the planes tilt radically up and the forms are foreshortened, as well as the way pure fields of color are used to flatten out the frame.
Claude Monet, The Garden at Sainte-Adresse,
1867, oil on canvas; 38 5/8 x 51 1/8 in., 67.241
Monet spent the summer of
1867 with family at Sainte Adresse, and while there, he was inspired to paint
this scene. The subjects of his painting are his father and various other
family members. In Monet’s The
Garden at Sainte-Adresse, the three pure fields of color, the sky, ocean,
and terrace, flatten out the frame. These colors and the relationship of the
standing figures to each other relate very clearly to a Japanese print, Fuji from the Platform of Sasayedo by Katsushika
Hokusai.
Monet owned a copy of this print, and likely borrowed stylization, painting
techniques, and compositional ideas from Hokusai.
Monet owned
Japanese woodblock prints, and the influence of Fuji from the Platform of Sasayedo is seen very clearly in Garden at Sainte-Adresse. Monet imitates
almost exactly the composition of this print, as well as the pure bands of
color seen in the terrace, sky, and ocean. Though there are more figures in
this print than in Monet’s painting, the composition and relationship between
the figures is very similar to the composition and relationship between the figures
in Monet’s painting.
Claude Monet, The Water Lily Pond,
1900, oil on canvas; 35 ½ x 36 ½ in., Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: 61.959
In 1883, Monet
moved to a small village near Paris called Giverny, and bought a house a few
years later, in 1890. He then purchased adjacent land and built a pond and
water garden, and over this pond spanned a Japanese bridge. Among the many
types of flower in his garden, were gingko trees, bamboo, and Japanese fruit
trees. Monet was very influenced by not only Japanese art, but by Japanese
culture as a whole, and incorporated this culture into many parts of his life.
In this painting, Monet emphasizes mainly the bridge, but also the water lilies
and reflection of the sky and bank in the pond.
Katsushika
Hokusai, Under Mannen Bridge at Fukagawa,
1830-1831, woodblock print; 10 1/16 x 15 5/16 in., Minneapolis Institute of Art:
P.13,911
This print depicts Mannen
Bridge in the city of Edo, spanning the Onagi River. The Onagi River is located
in the northeast area of the city, and leads to the Sumida River, which flows
through the middle of the city. The bridge is built high enough for boats to
pass under. Monet likely saw this print at least once in his life, or saw
prints similar to this. The bridge depicted in this print is a very typical
Japanese bridge, and Monet’s painting, The
Water Lily Pond, also depicts a very typical Japanese bridge. The Japanese
influence in Monet’s life is very evident, especially when one studies prints
such as this one.
Claude Monet, La Japonaise, 1876, oil on canvas; 91 ¼
x 56 in., Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: 56. 147
La
Japonaise has
also been titled Camille Monet in
Japanese Costume. Monet painted this portrait of his wife in a kimono,
surrounded by fans, wearing a blonde wig, to comment on the Japanese style fad
overtaking Paris. His wife is portrayed in traditional Japanese clothing
surrounded by and holding a traditional Japanese fan. However, she is wearing a
blonde wig in order to emphasize her Western identity. This portrait of Monet’s
wife is an excellent indicator of the extent to which Japanese culture was
becoming popular in Europe, especially in Paris. The pose Monet’s wife is
holding is very reminiscent of many Japanese portraits.
Kitagawa
Tsukimaro, Geisha, a pair of hanging
scroll paintings, 1820-1829, silk; 118.70 x 53.30 cm, British Museum: 1881,
1210,0.2311
The Geisha on these scroll
paintings are very typical Japanese portraits. The women are in kimonos, varied
in color and pattern. They are holding items, fans being the most common item,
and are slightly turned from the viewer. Monet incorporates many of these stylistic
choices into his painting, La Japonaise,
with the exception of two major differences: the way Monet’s wife is staring
right at the viewer, and the blonde wig she is wearing. These differences
further emphasize the Western appropriation of Japanese culture in Paris at the
time.
[1] Buckley, Edmund. "The Japanese as Peers of Western
Peoples." American Journal of Sociology 11, no. 3 (November 1905):
326-35. Accessed March 17, 2016. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2762792, 330-331.
[3] Trumble, Angus. "Monet and Japan.
Canberra and Perth." The Burlington Magazine, August 2001, 521-23.
Accessed March 17, 2016. http://www.jstor.org/stable/889224, 521.
[4] Ibid., 42.
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