"If you want to paint a branch, you have to hear the breath of the wind."
Japanese Proverb
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It’s the end of the 19th century and a shockwave is rolling through France. It’s not the result of an earthquake or a volcanic eruption, so what event deserves credit for this incredible jolt?
Japan has recently opened its borders and an avalanche of art is tumbling forth. Long shrouded from international view, the country’s traditions and crafts are invading Europe. Occidental artists are totally smitten.
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Katasuhika Hokusai, "Under the Wave off Kanagawa" also known as "The Great Wave" from the series "36 Views of Mount Fuji", ca. 1830-1832, polychrome woodblock print, ink and color on paper, 10.13 x 14.93 in., Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
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The Japanese exports include furniture, porcelain and colorful prints. Henri Rivière, a French painter and enthusiastic collector, is especially taken with the 2D images.
After seeing 36 Views of Mount Fuji, a series by Japanese printmaker Hokusai, he creates a similar collection, albeit with a much more Parisian subject: 36 Views of…can you guess? The Eiffel Tower.
Though the scenes aren’t identical, they have similar compositions: Both show simplified, blustery landscapes whose winding roads frame enormous monuments in the distance.
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Above: Katsushika Hokusai, "Ejiri in Suruga Province", from the series "36 Views of Mount Fuji", ca.1830-1832, Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper, 9.88 x 14.75 in., Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Below: Henri Rivière, "36 Views of the Eiffel Tower: From Lamarck Street", between 1888 and 1902, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris. © ADAGP, Paris 2016.
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When Rivière notices that Japanese art often depicts untouched, natural environments, he sets out to do the same—and he isn’t the only one! Rapid industrialization is changing the face of urban France. A number of creative spirits are packing their bags and leaving Paris in search of Eden.
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Henri Rivière, "Study of a Wave, Wave Hitting the Rocks". © ADAGP, Paris 2016.
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Where does Rivière find Paradise? Looking at his work, we might guess he sets sail for the Land of the Rising Sun. But no! He travels to Brittany, a region in northwestern France. There he paints the area’s wild countryside, with its sheer cliffs and crashing waves.
Who’d have thought this corner of Europe could look so Japanese?
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Henri Rivière, "Study of a Wave, Sea Receding", 1890-1892, print, 9.1 x 13.8 in., Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris. © ADAGP, Paris 2016.
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 If you want to paint a branch, you have to hear the breath of the wind.
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Japanese Proverb 
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Henri Rivière, "Vegetable Gardens, Grenelle" part of "36 views of the Eiffel Tower", 1902, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.
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What nationality was the painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir?
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Contact Co-Founders Coline and Jean at hello@artips.co.
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