DEMONSTRATION

My Japanese Waterlilies

Japanese everyday objects and objets d’art conquered the Western world in the 1860s. France in particular enthused over Japan’s fine porcelain and elegant fabrics and textiles. These non-Western themes, subjects and exotic shapes provided inspiration and created a longing for the unknown in Impressionist artists. Degas, Monet and Manet were the first painters to take up these stylistic expressions. This is how Monet’s famous Water Lilies paintings came about. I am always fascinated by the Japanese pictures that I come across, such as photos of ink drawings, highly contrasting painted faces or richly decorated robes. I also like to be carried away into this foreign world and interpret it in my own way.