Western visions of Japan and the Fin-de-siècle #3

Degas and the nude in Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints with Simon Rees

In the West, studying the nude figure has long been essential for artists, rooted in classical ideals of the human body. However, 19th-century Western visitors to Japan noticed a different cultural attitude toward nakedness and a lack of a life drawing tradition. Despite this, artists like Edgar Degas, who challenged the classical nude ideal, found inspiration in Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints by artists such as Torii Kiyonaga.

In the series:
Nov. 7: The Shogun and the Mikado
Nov. 14: Hokusai, the Japanese Rembrandt
Dec. 12: Degas and the nude in Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints
Dec. 19: Rodin and his Japanese model, Madame Hanako