Art for Art's Sake

During this lecture Tony taught us the history of design ranging from the late 18th century to the late 19th century. Beginning with 'The World Fair' in 1851, up to the end of the Aesthetic Movement in the 1880's. Exploring the influence of Japanese art upon the western world was particularly interesting as the shift in design was extremely evident. Art became more interesting, and dynamic, making it much more appealing to the eye. He stated that Japan had the largest influence on western art to date, and after further research, I would agree. Renowned artists were seen to replicate elements of the ukiyo-e artwork of the era. An example of this would be Vincent Van Gogh who was seen to make almost direct replicas of the art he admired, and then implementing the skills and techniques observed into his own art. Monet was also seen to be heavily inspired by Japanese artwork, shown through pieces such as 'Water Lilies and Japanese Bridge' and 'The Water Lily Pond'. It is interesting to now be able to see the continuous influence Japan has made on the world of art, and to think about what western art could have potentially looked like if not for the Japonism break-through.

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The Influence of Japonsim

    Mary Cassatt was notable artist known to have displayed heavy inspiration from Japanese ukiyo-e artwork. She created a collection of 10 coloured prints using: aquatint; etching; drypoint, and hand colouring, all on woodcuts, imitating traditional ukiyo-e techniques. As seen in 'Woman Bathing (La Toilette)', Cassatt utilised the flat colouring, and simplistic lines seen the original art pieces of which she was influenced by. The contemporary subject matter of the collection was able to be displayed in a more raw fashion through the dynamic and realistic composition of the art, as seen in similar work by Hashiguchi Goyo, while still remaining abstract due to the rendering and line art. Additionally, little to no shading was used in the piece, with only the imperfections of aquatint to insinuate any form of shadow or light, which was common to Japanese artwork. Even in simple elements such as the detail of the hair, evident influence is conveyed, from the thin use of lines to the line density to replicate different hues.
    Cassatt stated that throughout her collection of prints, the only piece of which she attempted to emulate the Japanese art style was 'The Bath'. Despite this, it can be clearly seen that the techniques and approach she took remained consistent throughout. Mary Cassatt's series of prints are still extremely reflective of the aesthetic of ukiyo-e woodblock prints, and highlight how influential the Japonism movement was on western art.

'Woman Bathing (La Toilette)', Mary Cassatt, 1890

'Fish Blood', Gustav Klimt, 1897-98

      Gustav Klimt was also undoubtedly inspired by Japanese artwork of the late 18th century, emerging as an artist during the Japonsim movement in Europe. In a similar manner to Cassatt, in the piece 'Fish Blood', he adopted the use of colour blocking, and simplistic line work, allowing him to portray the movement of water and the human body in a compelling, yet realistic manner. The lack of detail seen in the bodies of the women is highly reflective of ukiyo-e prints, and can be seen in many Japanese pieces, such as 'The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife' by Hokusai, and 'Woman Bathing Under Flowers' by Utagawa Toyokuni. The plainness of the form emphasises the composition of the artwork, and draws the eye in, as it contrasts with the more complex background. Utilising thin, basic lines to mimic water was extremely effective, replicating the shape and flow of water accurately, while still remaining stylised in the presentation. Original Japanese artwork that is comparable to this in technique would be 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa', by Hokusai.
      Although the influence of Japonsim was most evident in Klimt's earlier work, his later work, such as 'The Kiss', still emulates the techniques learned in his previous years. During his 'Golden Age', he utilised flat, simplistic colouring, and line work, reflecting the lasting impacts that Japonism played on his own work.

      Both of these pieces of art greatly juxtapose the work of those with no influence from Japan. An example of this is 'The Farmer's Daughter', by John Everett Millais. As this painting was created before

the Japonism and Aesthetic boom, instead during the Pre-Raphaelite movement, the characteristics seen differ greatly.
      The woman in the painting appears modest, and innocent in contrast to those in the art pieces above, most likely due to the image and perception of women at the time the art was created. Women in the west during the 1800's were seen as inferior, and weak in comparison to men - seen as more of an object than an actual person. The composition also contrasts ukiyo-e artwork (and those influenced by ukiyo-e prints) as the girl is placed in the centre, unlike the dynamic poses and angles seen in Japanese art. This causes the girl to feel more stiff, and therefore, makes the piece less interesting, and real to look at, despite being of a more realistic style. This realistic, and focused approach to the topic of the painting, while impressive, lacks the character of the art of the Japonism movement. The style is very traditionally western - there is an absence of creative liberty or exploration, making it much less lively, and dulled in comparison to the bold strokes, colours, and shapes of Japanese art.

'The Farmer's Daughter', John Everett Millais, circa 1863

     The impacts of the Japonism movement remain today as some of the most important shifts in art. It allowed western artists to stray away from traditional and classical styles, showing them that realism, or a central object of focus was not necessarily integral to creating a successful piece. Taking such liberties can create much more lively, engaging work - liberties, that due to the influence of Japan, are still adopted and evident in almost all design work to date.

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Links

https://davidcharlesfox.com/japonisme-influence-japanese-art-western-artists/
https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-japan-inspired-western-artists-impressionists-today
https://mymodernmet.com/japanese-art-impressionism-japonism/
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2019/05/07/arts/gustav-klimt-behind-glitters/#.XZYsbBrTWhA
https://www.spurlock.illinois.edu/blog/p/featured-object-woodblock/50
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/337064
https://ukiyo-e.org/image/mia/45386
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/44587
http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/klimt/secession.html
https://www.artspace.com/magazine/art_101/in_depth/japanese-woodblock-prints-how-a-historical-technique-stays-relevant-today-56228
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Wave_off_Kanagawa