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UAL Research Online

What is Japonisme? terminology and interpretation

Watanabe, Toshio (2012) What is Japonisme? terminology and interpretation. In: Art of Japan, Japanisms and Polish-Japanese Art Relations. Polish Institute of World Art Studies & Tako Publishing House, Torun, Poland, pp. 215-218. ISBN 978-83-62737-16-1

Type of Research: Book Section
Creators: Watanabe, Toshio
Description:

This paper attempts to define what the term ‘Japonisme’ means by examining its historical development. Gabriel Weisberg has defined it as ‘taste for things Japanese’ and that was how it was used during the second half of the 19th century in France together with other terms such as Japonaiserie or Japonnerie. Then during the 1960s and 70s some art historians gave the term a new meaning of artistic absorption of formal elements of Japanese art without specific reference to Japanese motifs. Then they interpreted such Japonisme as superior to superficial inclusion of Japanese motifs, which they called Japonaiserie, and argued that this Japonaiserie always happens before Japonisme. Already in 1991 I have argued that this interpretation cannot be sustained, though this erroneous notion still lives on even now. I should also like to further this debate by discussing the term ‘Japanism’ to differentiate it from that of ‘Japonisme’.

Official Website: http://tako.biz.pl/art of japan.htm
Keywords/subjects not otherwise listed: Japonisme, Japanism
Publisher/Broadcaster/Company: Polish Institute of World Art Studies & Tako Publishing House
Your affiliations with UAL: Research Centres/Networks > Transnational Art Identity and Nation (TrAIN)
Date: 2012
Date Deposited: 09 Aug 2013 16:44
Last Modified: 09 Nov 2023 04:46
Item ID: 6041
URI: https://ualresearchonline.arts.ac.uk/id/eprint/6041

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