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.

A significant and often overlooked influence on Van Gogh was the vibrant world of Japanese art, specifically ukiyo-e woodblock prints. These prints, depicting everything from serene landscapes to dramatic kabuki actors, captivated Van Gogh and fundamentally altered his artistic trajectory.

Pierre Bonnard, a luminary of the late 19th and early 20th century art world, was deeply captivated by the aesthetics of Japonism, the Western fascination with Japanese art and culture. While many of his contemporaries explored the bold, graphic aspects of Japanese prints, Bonnard absorbed a more nuanced, intimate understanding of the style, weaving it seamlessly into his own unique artistic vision. His paintings and prints reveal a delicate dance with Japanese aesthetics, marked by specific and recurring elements.