Japanism and Monet

"If you absolutely must find an affiliation for me, select the Japanese of old times...their aesthetic... evokes a presence by means of shadow and the whole by means of a fragment," (Monet, 1909).

By his own admission and self-designation, Monet was most greatly influenced by ancient Japanese art and custom. Monet was not alone in this fascination for the exotic, either. In the work of his contemporaries, Manet and Renoir, we can still see echoes of Asian influence. This is, of course to be expected, as the three were not only colleagues in art, but good friends living in Paris at the same time.

It was in the Cafe Derbouis that the group of Impressionists that set up the Societe Anonyme des Artists met, including Manet, Renoir, Monet Degas and Bazille. They met regularly to 'observe the Paris theatre and discuss topics of the day' . The writer George Moore commented that "[an artist

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as "catch up with the West and overtake it." Then, as it emerged from nearly 250 years of self-imposed international isolation, Japan set itself on a course of modernization that entailed emulating the West. European countries had empires, which was something that Japan wanted too. That meant Japan had to draw on and assimilate European culture. Bold national policies were implemented, and every facet of Japanese life was transformed. Thus, at the same time that European enthusiasm for Eastern culture was growing, the Japanese themselves had very little interest in their own culture, and important Japanese work could be bought relatively cheaply in other areas of the world. This notion of "Japanism", coupled with the fact that leisure itself had become a bit of a commodity in Paris, seems to go far in explaining the Impressionist painters' fascination with Japanese cultures. Although they themselves were not considered working class, it was impossible, in Paris, to avoid the less desirable side of Parisian life. Although major thoroughfares were smartened up, the back and side streets of Paris remained cramped and dirty. Poverty was rampant, and not just for the working class. The artists, then, wanted to present a lighter sid
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Approximate Word count = 1209
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)

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