George Hendrik Breitner
We present today's painting thanks to Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam—don't forget that for the next two Sundays we will be presenting the masterpieces from their magnificent collection! :) Enjoy!
When the Dutch photographer and painter George Hendrik Breitner saw an exhibition of Japanese prints in The Hague, he immediately went out and bought several kimonos. Using a screen, divan, and rugs, he created an oriental atmosphere in his studio. He then invited his neighbours, Anna and Geesje Kwak, to model for him. Geesje appears most frequently in the paintings of the girls in kimono, and in the associated photographs and sketches that Breitner produced in 1893 and 1894. The Red Kimono is one of the best examples of Breitner’s way with forms, colors, and textures. He even used a comb to imitate the fabric of the thick rug.
Another artist who fused Eastern and Western culture codes in his works was Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita. You can read about him here.