THE DELICATE UNWRAPPING: How Japonism Took Root in France

ALLEVERYTHING ELSE

May 9

Colorful Japanese print of a Dutch ship -square rigger- with many European flags flying. — In 1853 and 1854, U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry negotiated Japan’s opening to trade with the United States, culminating in the Treaty of Kanagawa. Soon after, other nations, including the Netherlands, signed similar agreements, ending Japan's isolation and the Dutch trade monopoly.

The story of Japonism in France begins, unexpectedly, with the hum of Dutch trade ships. For over two centuries, while Japan remained closed to most foreign contact under the Tokugawa shogunate’s sakoku policy, a small Dutch trading post on the artificial island of Dejima in Nagasaki Bay served as the sole Western gateway to Japanese goods. Porcelain, lacquerware, and rare silks quietly flowed into Europe, but few could imagine that humble woodblock prints, used at times as wrapping paper to cushion these exports, would one day ignite an artistic revolution.

When European merchants unwrapped their treasures, they sometimes found colorful ukiyo-e prints — works by artists like Hokusai and Hiroshige — discarded as mere packing. But to European eyes, starved for novelty, these vibrant images of everyday life, dramatic landscapes, and floating worlds were anything but mundane. They sparked curiosity and a hunger for more.

The true floodgates opened in 1853 when Commodore Matthew Perry of the U.S. Navy sailed into Tokyo Bay with his infamous "Black Ships," demanding that Japan abandon its isolationist stance. The resulting Treaty of Kanagawa in 1854 led to broader trade, not only with America but with European powers. Suddenly, the once-secluded islands of Japan became a source of fascination — their art, aesthetics, and culture trickling into Parisian salons and artist studios.

Among the most important figures in this cultural exchange was Siegfried Bing, a German-French art dealer whose passion for Japanese art transformed him into the leading authority on the subject in France. In 1878, Bing opened his gallery, the Maison de l’Art Japonais, in Paris. His keen eye and deep respect for Japanese craftsmanship helped elevate these works beyond mere exotic curiosities. Bing also published Le Japon Artistique, a lavishly illustrated magazine that introduced the subtleties of Japanese design to a broader European audience.

Painting of Emil Zola by Edouard Manet, with Zola at his desk surrounded by Japanese art. — ***Manet’s*** *Portrait of Emil Zola at his desk surrounded by Japanese art*

French Impressionists and Post-Impressionists like Monet, Degas, and Van Gogh became captivated by the bold compositions, flat planes of color, and unconventional perspectives found in Japanese prints. Many of them visited Bing’s gallery to study these works firsthand, incorporating the stylistic elements into their own paintings. This movement, known as Japonisme, rippled through the decorative arts, fashion, and even architecture, reshaping the very fabric of European aesthetics in the late 19th century.

***Hayashi Tadamasa*** was born in Takaoka, Toyama prefecture, in 1853. His grandfather and his father are both Dutch-style doctors. Having been raised in that intellectual context, he moved to Tokyo in 1871 and entered Nanko (the Western Learning College, now part of the University of Tokyo), where he studied French. In 1878, he attended the third Paris International Exposition as an employee of Kiryu Kosho Kaisha, serving as an interpreter. That experience led to his deciding to stay in Paris, where he opened a shop dealing in art and craft works. He did more than, as an art dealer, sell paintings, ukiyo-e, craft works, and other objects from Japan. He applied his rich knowledge and linguistic ability to introduce the culture and arts of Japan to intellectuals, critics, and artists in Europe, spurring the rise of Japonisme.

But Bing was not alone in facilitating this exchange. Another key figure was Hayashi Tadamasa, a Japanese art dealer who moved to Paris in the 1870s. Hayashi played a crucial role in supplying authentic Japanese art and artifacts to European collectors and museums. His scholarly approach and direct ties to Japan lent credibility and depth to the growing Japonist movement.

Together, these threads — the accidental discovery of ukiyo-e prints, Perry’s opening of Japan, Bing’s commercial and intellectual efforts, and Hayashi’s expert mediation — wove a complex tapestry of cultural exchange. Japonism was not a simple fad; it was a profound dialogue between East and West, sparked by curiosity and sustained by artistic admiration.