Japanese Nanban Screen Paintings

Throughout history, art was a large component of how a country shaped its culture and interactions with other nations. Dating from the late 16th century when European countries, in particular Spain and Portugal, traveled the ocean and created world-wide sea trade routes, East Asia was impacted by the European enthrallment evident in the Japanese Nanban screen paintings. In addition, during the 19th century, Japan encountered a significant change from the conservative, isolationist system under the shogun rule during the Edo period to the fast and global motive to renovate and connect with other nations that distinguished the Meiji Restoration. By the mid 19th century when trading was legally established, aspects of Japanese art and japonisme

They are distinguished as fuzokuga, which is a genre that focuses on traditions and behaviors, from the early part of the Early Modern period. However, the themes of this style were recognized not only for their illustrations of traditions and behaviors of Japanese people but their depiction of those of Westerners as well. One key aspect when looking at the Nanban screens was the perspective it revealed of the understanding that the Japanese had of the West during that era. The image of Westerners with their exaggerated facial features and tall figurine have carried through even to this day. Also evident in these screens were the scene of the ship’s captain sitting in front of a screen illustrated with ink, which comes from the form of Chinese painters. The depicted behaviors of foreign women gazing out at the ships from a building at the edge of the port are also relative to Chinese style. The opening of the ports brought western influences to Japan as shown by the Christian church and Christian priests. The illustration against the gold background further emphasized the exotic appearance and customs of the European missionaries and merchants. These Nanban screens captured a moment in history of the interactions that Japan had with Europe during the Momoyama

Here, the woman is dressed in kimono and is situated in a position commonly seen during a typical Japanese tea ceremony. This work of art is a perfect example of how artists back then use women in advertisements to sell their product. This work in particular is used for selling coffee instead of green tea. The use of female figure was very common in advertisement and entertainment in Japanese culture. Art Nouveau works were influenced by flat images and two-dimensional colors with minimal depth and shadows along with dazzling imagery, unevenness, and bold symbolism. Floral and organic designs were also evident in the Art Nouveau designs that represented nature and beauty. Here, the earthly colors of blue, green and white resemble the organic features of nature and plants. Not only did Crespin use artistic elements that was new in Europe, but also incorporated East Asian culture and created a hybrid art piece that illustrated global connections between Europe and Asia that was happening at the time. The compositional freedom derived from Japanese art had a function and purpose rather than simply being visually pleasing and allowed viewers to delve into the work and find the artist’s message through its content, which is evident in this