Japanese Art: a Major Influence on the Work of Monet
©Sophie Boegly
Claude Monet, the figurehead of the impressionist movement, was strongly influenced by Japanese art. He was an admirer of the work of Hokusai and purchased several of his prints, which would go on to shake up his creative process.
Over the 1880s, Japanism made its whirlwind entry into western culture, especially in France. As Le Bon Marché sold prints, kimonos and fans, painters like Van Gogh and Monet were becoming captivated by this new aesthetic.
Ancient models and the classic use of perspective were transformed into a spectacular juxtaposition. Monet’s Waterlilies series was directly inspired by Japanese art. The colossal size of the paintings gives off a sense of calm and purity characteristic of Japanese prints. The Waterlily Pond, Green Harmony echoes this. Monet endows these landscapes with an almost sacred look.
©Sophie Boegly
©Sophie Boegly
©Sophie Boegly
TRENDING
-
A Rare Japanese Garden Hidden Within Honen-in Temple in Kyoto
Visible only twice a year, ‘Empty River’, designed by landscape architect Marc Peter Keane, evokes the carbon cycle.
-
Colour Photos of Yakuza Tattoos from the Meiji Period
19th-century photographs have captured the usually hidden tattoos that covered the bodies of the members of Japanese organised crime gangs.
-
Recipe for Ichiraku Ramen from ‘Naruto’ by Danielle Baghernejad
Taken from the popular manga with the character of the same name who loves ramen, this dish is named after the hero's favourite restaurant.
-
Modernology, Kon Wajiro's Science of Everyday Observation
Makeup, beard shape, organisation of cupboards and meeting places: all of these details decipher 1920s Tokyoites.
-
Hitachi Park Offers a Colourful, Floral Breath of Air All Year Round
Only two hours from Tokyo, this park with thousands of flowers is worth visiting several times a year to appreciate all its different types.
