Impressionists and Japan. Art between East and West. The History of One Passion

For more than two centuries, Japan lived in isolation from the outside world, and only in the mid-19th century was the Land of the Rising Sun reopened to the West. A new era began in the relations between Japan and the countries of Europe, and not least it concerned art. During the World Exhibitions in London and Paris, the pavilion of Japan, which showcased prints and decorative applied arts, caused a real sensation. In the second half of the 19th century, almost all Impressionist artists were captivated by the simplicity and elegance of the Japanese style. The infiltration of Eastern aesthetics into Western perception through art, primarily visual art, changed the paradigm of artistic thinking: seeing the important in everyday life — in raindrops, the fallen cherry blossoms, the setting sun… The book “Impressionism and Japan. Art between East and West: the history of one passion” is dedicated to the history of the intersection of Eastern and Western cultures, the phenomenon of fascination with Japan in the countries of Europe and America from the mid-19th century to the present day.