Style Japonism, Chinoiserie / Ref.15009

Conrad KIESEL (after), Japonist portrait of a woman wearing a kimono, circa 1880

This portrait of a European woman dressed in Japanese attire within a Japan-inspired setting was likely created after a work by the German painter Conrad Kiesel, which shares the same features. Several copies of this work, executed like ours in oil printed on embossed leather, were nevertheless attributed to Franz Schier.

The woman, with European facial features, stands out against a background of embossed leather decorated with floral, butterfly (a symbol of eternity in Far Eastern cultures) and dragon motifs. Dressed in traditional Japanese style, she wears a short-sleeved kimono (tomesode) with an obi (broad Japanese belt) tied at the back. Her hair is arranged with a butterfly-shaped comb and hair sticks, and she holds a fan in her right hand. However, her bracelet hints more at general orientalism than strict japonisme. In the lower right corner, her legs appear entwined within a cluster of pink flowers, subtly contributing to the imbalance in her posture.

The fascination for Japanese art that emerged in the latter half of the 19^th century – following Japan’s re-opening to international trade and its participation in the 1867 Universal Exposition – came to be known as “japonism”. This movement sparked a revolution in Western art, profoundly influencing artists across various fields. This portrait reflects the powerful impact of Japanese art on Western creations of the late 19^th century, not only in subject matter but also in execution, particularly in the intentional absence of depth and perspective, which is slightly offset by the presence of flowers.