Japan’s influence on Van Gogh
Japan’s influence on Van Gogh
06 February 2019
In one of our most popular events of the year, we took at look at Van Gogh’s appreciation for Japanese artwork – and how the Asian country inspired him.
Martin Bailey, Van Gogh expert and author of ‘Starry Night: Van Gogh in the Asylum‘, joined us at Asia House on 30 January to provide us with an insight into Van Gogh’s fascination with Japanese art and his time in Provence. Throughout the course of the evening, Bailey explained how art styles and woodblock prints from Japan were a particular source of inspiration for Van Gogh – and showed us how their influences can be seen in Van Gogh’s own art in its subject matter, composition, and vibrant and contrasting colours.
Bailey is the co-curator of Tate’s forthcoming Van Gogh exhibition (‘The EY Exhibition: Van Gogh and Britain’, 27 March-11 August 2019). He is also a correspondent for The Art Newspaper, for whom he writes a weekly blog on Van Gogh.
Watch the full event below
This event was part of the Asia House 2019 Winter Arts & Learning Programme
