Japonisme in Russian Printed Graphics at the End Of the 19th – the Beginning of the 20th Century

Abstract

Japonisme is a complex phenomenon, based on the pervasion of Japanese culture into Western culture. Russian artists comprehended it mainly in Europe at the same time as the latest trends in Western art. In their memoirs, the names of Hokusai, Hiroshige and Utamaro are often found: The acquaintance with the engravings of these masters had a great influence on the visual language of a generation of artists in Europe and Russia. Immersion in the technique of Japanese ukiyo-e woodcuts led to experiments, the result of which was the reception by Russian artists of several principles of graphic interpretation of depicted objects, spatial structure, and composition. One of the first Russian artists, who began to work in color engraving was M. V. Yakunchikova. In her works a fusion of various trends is noticeable, among which are the innovative ideas of European artists, and the influence of Japanese woodcuts, and the aestheticism of the “Mir Iskusstva”. The main features of Yakunchikova’s etchings are the conciseness and restraint of the compositions, the absence of excessive detail, the smoothness of the lines and the silhouette of the construction. A. P. Ostroumova-Lebedeva enriched Russian woodcut with color and abandoned the stroke, putting the silhouette and the generalized line in the first place. Her works are characterized by subtle lyricism at the same time as a strictly built composition. V. D. Falileev also worked in the technique of linocut. He created several talented works that demonstrated her wide visual capabilities. Along with recognized masters such as Yakunchikova, Ostroumova-Lebedeva and Falileev, lesser-known masters such as N. N. Zeddeler and A. P. Somova-Zeddeler. Until recently their works did not attract the attention of researchers, but at the beginning of the twentieth century their work was an integral part of artistic life. Despite the presence of a fairly large number of publications devoted to Japonisme and its influence on European art, this topic remains insufficiently studied in Russian art. Japonisme has become one of the important features of the Art Nouveau style, which is characterized by spatial convention, silhouette construction, the rhythm of color spots and other techniques aimed at creating laconic and decorative artistic images.