Van Gogh and Japonisme

[Steve Bildermann]

The term Japonisme came up in France in the seventies of the 19th century to describe the craze for Japanese culture and art. Van Gogh like so many other Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists was one of the admirers of Japanese art. The Japanese influence is obvious in his art work

Props to Metafilter



http://www.artelino.com/articles/van_gogh_japonisme.asp

Japonisme: The Influence of Japanese Prints on Western Art

[Ptyx]

Toulouse Lautrec even designed his signature to look like a hanko:

[Mulboyne]

SeattlePI: Van Gogh Museum showcases Japan influence

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands -- The Van Gogh Museum opens an exhibition this week showing the influence that Japanese art had on 19th-century Dutch painter. "Japanese Season" features artifacts from Japan similar to what Vincent van Gogh might have seen when they were exhibited in Amsterdam in 1883. Afterward, van Gogh became a collector of Japanese prints and often wrote to his brother, Theo, about his desire to infuse the motifs into his own artwork. For the exhibition, curators have placed van Gogh's paintings near Japanese pieces, showing where themes are similar...more...

See also FG Thread: Van Gogh's Ukiyo-e Stolen, Replaced