Abstract

Claude Monet’s La Japonaise, a portrait of his European wife in a Japanese kimono, stands out as a rare full-length portrait and as a blatantly Japonist and sensual image. In pursuit of the avant-garde portrait, Monet blended his own works in portraiture with his fascination with Japan to produce a La Japonaise, a work that was met with initial praise equal to its criticism. This paper analyzes Monet’s relationship with his full-length portraits, Le Dejeuner sur l’Herbe and Camille: The Green Dress and how Japonisme evolved his works in portraiture, Monet’s use of Japanese objects as props and how it fits into the greater tradition of Japonist portraiture, and the cultural legacy of La Japonaise through a discussion of its controversies and criticisms.

Advisor

Siewert, John

Department

Art and Art History

Disciplines

Modern Art and Architecture

Keywords

Monet, La Japonaise, Japonisme, Impressionism, Nineteenth Century

Publication Date

2020

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2020 Katarina Margaret Baltisberger