Klimt, the Katagami and the Vienna Secession
Japonism, this extraordinary influence of Japanese arts on European artists at the end of the 19th century, affected many areas, from painting to fashion and decorative arts .
Among the major figures of this period, Gustav Klimt, leader of the Vienna Secession , was deeply influenced by Japanese aesthetics. A significant source of this influence, particularly in the field of textiles and patterns, lies in the katagami .
Katagami are Japanese stencils made from mulberry bark . They were used to print designs onto wool or silk fabrics .
With the opening of Japan to international trade in the second half of the 19th century, after the Treaty of Kanagawa in 1854 , these objects, once simple craft tools, flooded into Europe .
Museums such as the South Kensington Museum in London and the Museum für Kunst und Industrie in Vienna purchased hundreds of these katagami . These collections became an invaluable resource, providing hundreds of models to the artists of the Vienna Secession and the Wiener Werkstätte, considered the foundation of 20th-century design .
With the opening of Japan to international trade in the second half of the 19th century, after the Treaty of Kanagawa in 1854 , these objects, once simple craft tools, flooded into Europe .
Museums such as the South Kensington Museum in London and the Museum für Kunst und Industrie in Vienna purchased hundreds of these katagami . These collections became an invaluable resource, providing hundreds of models to the artists of the Vienna Secession and the Wiener Werkstätte, considered the foundation of 20th-century design .
Gustav Klimt, whose studio housed an extraordinary collection of Japanese objects including kakemono , prints, kimonos, and even a samurai suit of armor , was passionate about this culture. He even dressed in kimonos he designed himself, even in the conservative Vienna of the time . This personal immersion is reflected in his art, where he deeply integrated the principles of Japanese textiles .
The influence of katagami and Japanese textiles is evident in Klimt's treatment of pattern and composition. Japanese textiles often use rosettes on an organic or schematized background, or mon (heraldic insignia) on a schematized background . Klimt adopted these principles.
In works such as "The Kiss" , we find ovoid shapes and motifs reminiscent of mon on the woman, and black rectangles on the man . These motifs are treated flat, parallel to the plane of the painting , an approach that incorporates the composition of Japanese textiles .
In works such as "The Kiss" , we find ovoid shapes and motifs reminiscent of mon on the woman, and black rectangles on the man . These motifs are treated flat, parallel to the plane of the painting , an approach that incorporates the composition of Japanese textiles .
In portraits such as that of Adele Bloch-Bauer or in a painting titled "Japanese Woman in Checkered Kimono" (whose very title emphasizes the garment), the face sometimes seems to disappear or be secondary to the omnipresence of the patterns of the garment and the background .
This approach, where clothing and wall decoration take precedence over the character, is directly inspired by the visuality of Japanese prints and textiles, where patterns take priority .
The vertically screened backgrounds or checkered bodices seen in his works are directly linked to this influence . The idea of figures "absorbed" by wallpaper or fabric was a visuality that would never have existed without the presence of the arts of Japan .
This approach, where clothing and wall decoration take precedence over the character, is directly inspired by the visuality of Japanese prints and textiles, where patterns take priority .
The vertically screened backgrounds or checkered bodices seen in his works are directly linked to this influence . The idea of figures "absorbed" by wallpaper or fabric was a visuality that would never have existed without the presence of the arts of Japan .
In short, katagami served as an essential vector for the dissemination of Japanese motifs and principles of textile composition among artists of the Vienna Secession.
Gustav Klimt, through his personal passion and artistic genius, was able to integrate these influences in depth, using flat patterns, textile-based compositions and the particular relationship between figure and ground to forge his unique style, which has marked the history of Art Nouveau and design.
For those more curious about Klimt's work, a very nice report on Arte TV:
Gustav Klimt, through his personal passion and artistic genius, was able to integrate these influences in depth, using flat patterns, textile-based compositions and the particular relationship between figure and ground to forge his unique style, which has marked the history of Art Nouveau and design.
For those more curious about Klimt's work, a very nice report on Arte TV: