Subject: Ukiyo-e art by Katsushika Hokusai included a series of woodblock prints characterized by flatness and innovative perspectives with swirling brushwork, which seemed to affect the works of future Western Impressionists in different ways.
Subject Matter: The Great Wave, 1831, visually represents the dynamics of blue colors and a high-level contrast; Oceans of Wisdom, 1833, shows how to use black as the main color and overprinted shades through red pigments; Fine Wind, Clear Morning, 1832, introduces a compositional abstraction of the mountain displayed in three different tones.
Thesis: Although Japan was isolated from the West in the 19th century, the Ukiyo-e genre by Hokusai had a massive influence on Impressionist works, specifically Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, and Mary Cassatt, through incorporating visual styles, interpreting space with lines and colors, and removing a single perspective of flat areas.
Bibliography: I will analyze Hokusai’s paintings to observe his techniques and compare them with the works of the Impressionists like Manet, Van Gogh, Monet, and Cassatt mentioned in Impressionist Masterpieces or Japan Review.
Reiteration of Thesis: The chosen Impressionist artists used some elements of Ukiyo-e art in their projects, proving the impact of Hokusai in their progress. In some of Monet’s works, the Japanese content is noticed; Manet followed Hokusai’s example of breaking the rules and removing perspectives through unexpected shades and colors. Van Gogh’s thoughts about Japanese art are traced to his intention to combine flatness and add black outlines. Cassatt did not hide her admiration of Japanese culture and added similar content as one of the ways to improve her techniques. Ukiyo-e prints were easily recognizable in the choice of clean, direct lines and compositional abstraction.
Final Summarizing of Contribution: This essay will define a new perspective on the influence of Ukiyo-e prints by Hokusai on Impressionists. The works by Manet, Monet Van Gogh, and Cassatt create strong evidence of Western admiration for Japanese art. The analysis of Hokusai’s techniques in Western painting will prove the connection between Japanese and Western approaches.