Art Festivals & Events

In the Meiji period (1868–1912), Japan's contact with the West brought new knowledge and technology in many areas into the country. Inspired by the new thrills of Western culture, Japanese art changed, creating a new era of creativity. Works produced in this time contain tones that diverge from the heretofore dominant "simple beauty" of Japanese art, with themes of decadence, sensuousness, grotesqueness, and eroticism. While stirring controversy in the art world, this tendency reached the populace in art and illustrations for literature as reflections of people's desire and anxiety in a turbulent age. This exhibition showcases these changing trends with paintings, prints, and illustrations from magazines and books produced in the period from the mid-19th century until around 1930.