The Courtesan

The Courtesan by Vincent van Gogh is one of many van Gogh’s Japonaiserie paintings.  Japonaiserie was the term that van Gogh used to express the influence of Japanese art. He never traveled to Japan, but he collected, copied, and sold ukiyo-e. Ukiyo-e is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints and paintings produced between the 17^th century and 20^th centuries. Now only were they popular in Japan, but also in Europe. Not only do I like van Gogh’s work, but also his incorporation to Japanese art (Ukiyo-e). Mostly Japanese art is about nature, landscapes, and tales, which are the reasons I like it.    

Here are some Ukiyo-e woodblock prints: 

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japonaiserie_(Van_Gogh)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukiyo-e

http://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/vgm/index.jsp?page=2122&lang=en