Japonisme

Japonisme^[a] is a French term that refers to the popularity and influence of Japanese art and design among a number of Western European artists in the nineteenth century following the forced reopening of foreign trade with Japan in 1858.^[1][2] Japonisme was first described by French art critic and collector Philippe Burty in 1872.^[3]

While the effects of the trend were likely most pronounced in the visual arts, they extended to architecture, landscaping and gardening, and clothing.^[4] Even the performing arts were affected; Gilbert & Sullivan's The Mikado is perhaps the best example.

From the 1860s, ukiyo-e, Japanese woodblock prints, became a source of inspiration for many Western artists.^[5] These prints were created for the commercial market in Japan.^[5] Although a percentage of prints were brought to the West through Dutch trade merchants, it was not until the 1860s that ukiyo-e prints gained popularity in Europe.^[5] Western artists were intrigued by the original use of color and composition. Ukiyo-e prints featured dramatic foreshortening and asymmetrical compositions.^[6]

Japanese decorative arts, including ceramics, enamels, metalwork, and lacquerware, were as influential in the West as the graphic arts.^[7] During the Meiji era (1868–1912), Japanese pottery was exported around the world.^[8] From a long history of making weapons for samurai, Japanese metalworkers had achieved an expressive range of colours by combining and finishing metal alloys.^[9] Japanese cloissoné enamel reached its "golden age" from 1890 to 1910,^[10] producing items more advanced than ever before.^[11] These items were widely visible in nineteenth-century Europe: a succession of world's fairs displayed Japanese decorative art to millions,^[12][13] and it was picked up by galleries and fashionable stores.^[7] Writings by critics, collectors, and artists expressed considerable excitement about this "new" art.^[7] Collectors including Siegfried Bing^[14] and Christopher Dresser^[15] displayed and wrote about these works. Thus Japanese styles and themes reappeared in the work of Western artists and craftsmen.^[7]

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