American Art Collaborative

In 1854 Japan and the United States signed the Treaty of Peace and Amity, which opened two Japanese ports to trade and marked the beginning of an era dominated by Western obsession with Japanese culture and ideas. Robert Frederick Blum’s Cherry Blossoms represents the idealization of Japanese culture based on the specific motifs and decorative qualities of Japanese goods. This style, known as Japonisme, was adopted by many Impressionist painters. Blum was also inspired by the Aesthetic movement, which promoted ideals of beauty in artwork. Blum painted the woman’s kimono, her physical features, and the cherry blossoms using European painting techniques, while interpreting Japan as exotic, elegant, and fragile.Emily Malinowski ’16