From Mount Fuji to Giverny: Japanese Art History and European Impressionism

Chris Fasolino, instructor

This course covers the art history of Japan as well as the inspirational role that Japanese art history played in the works of European Impressionists and Post-Impressionists like Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh.  The unique art of the Japanese tea ceremony and the traditions of garden design will also be considered.  From the flamboyant castles of the shoguns to the quiet forest cottages of the tea masters with their philosophy of wabi-sabi, the art history of Japan is full of contrasts.  Folding screens with paintings of bamboo and tigers will be considered, as well as tranquil paintings of pine forests and dancing cranes.  The ukiyo-e woodblock prints will be examined both within their own culture and as an inspiration to artists like Monet, who designed his beloved gardens at Giverny along Japanese principles, and van Gogh, who said: “All my work is based to some extent on Japanese art.”

Classes meet Via Zoom June 15 – August 17
Monday mornings 9:30-11:30 a.m.
$225 (Museum members $180)