Mike Pert

A term coined in 1872 by French art critic Philippe Burty, Japonisme (or Japonesque, Japonism) describes the influence Japanese art, fashion, architecture, and landscaping had on the Western Art world after the forced reopening of Japanese trade in the 1850s. Art forms such as Ukiyo-e, woodblock printing, as well as their art’s flat plane and bold colours on muted compositions, and dramatic stylisation inspired impressionism, art nouveau, and the aesthetic movement of the 19th and 20th centuries. Of course there is world wide recognition of The Great Wave print by Hokusai which swept the world to become an eye catching and iconic image.
To suddenly open after years of seclusion from the rest of the world, the influence of Japanese design on the West has been immeasurable since those first trade ships arrived at their shores. Even today both ancient and contemporary Japanese design values play a big role in all forms of media the rest of the world consumes whether it be art, television, literature and more.