Open Access
Japonisme
Artist: Henry Somm (1844 - 1907) Primary
Date:
1881
19th century
Dimensions:
12.56 in. (31.9 cm)
Dimensions Extent:
image
Object Type:
Print
Creation Place:
Europe, France
Medium and Support:
Drypoint
Credit Line:
Gift from the Dr. I. J. and Sarah Markens Art Collection, 2018
Accession Number:
2018.34.20
This work is not currently on view
The Western European fascination with all aspects of Japanese art and culture, or japonisme, emerged in the wake of Commodore Matthew Perry’s forcible opening of Japan to foreign trade in 1854. By the 1880s, shiploads of Japanese goods, including paper lanterns, fans, and – especially influential for artists – ukiyo-e woodcuts, had poured into France. Somm spent two years studying the Japanese language after moving to Paris in the 1860s, where he became part of the Le Chat Noir circle that included Edgar Degas, Henri Fantin-Latour, Théophile Steinlen, and Adolphe Willette. Like those artists, Somm frequently included scenes from contemporary urban life in his prints, such as the elegant Parisienne in the center of this composition.
Keywords
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prints
Pictorial works produced by transferring images by means of a matrix such as a plate, block, or screen, using any of various printing processes. When emphasizing the individual printed image, use "impressions." Avoid the controversial expression "original prints," except in reference to discussions of the expression's use. If prints are neither "reproductive prints" nor "popular prints," use the simple term "prints." With regard to photographs, prefer "photographic prints"; for types of reproductions of technical drawings and documents, see terms found under "reprographic copies."
Pictorial works produced by transferring images by means of a matrix such as a plate, block, or screen, using any of various printing processes. When emphasizing the individual printed image, use "impressions." Avoid the controversial expression "original prints," except in reference to discussions of the expression's use. If prints are neither "reproductive prints" nor "popular prints," use the simple term "prints." With regard to photographs, prefer "photographic prints"; for types of reproductions of technical drawings and documents, see terms found under "reprographic copies."
public domain
Land owned and controlled by the state or federal government. Also, the status of publications, products, and processes that are not protected under patent or copyright.
Land owned and controlled by the state or federal government. Also, the status of publications, products, and processes that are not protected under patent or copyright.
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