Japanese Prints: The Collection of Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh fell under the spell of Japanese printmaking in Paris, where he purchased more than 600 prints from a dealer. He hung them in his studio, and they taught him a new way of looking at the world. Van Gogh liked the unusual spatial effects, the expanses of strong colour, the everyday subjects and the attention to details from nature. He was also keen to find a modern, more primitive kind of painting that engaged directly with the viewer. Japanese prints showed him the way, with nature still as his starting point.

Based on new research, the authors revise current thinking on Van Gogh: he did not purchase the prints in Paris for pleasure, the common assumption up until now, but instead acquired the prints with a view to trading them. The authors also reveal how the vivid Japanese woodcuts by artists including Hiroshige, Kuniyoshi and Kunisada became one of the most powerful, creative sources of inspiration behind Van Gogh’s work, and how they played a pivotal role in his artistic direction.

Contents List

1. Foreword by Axel Rüger, director Van Gogh Museum • 2. Van Gogh’s collection of Japanese prints: from commodities to a study collection and utopian ideal, Louis van Tilborgh • 3. The Van Gogh Museum’s collection of Japanese prints: an analysis, Chris Uhlenbeck • 4. Popular Collectibles in Van Gogh’s Time: Japanese Crepe Prints, Shigeru Oikawa • 5. A selection of 130 Japanese prints from the Van Gogh Museum collection

About the Authors

Axel Rüger is Director of the Van Gogh Museum.

Marije Vellekoop is the Van Gogh Museum’s Head of Collections, Research and Presentation.

List of Contributors