Japonisme in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy

The English-language volume Japonisme in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy was produced to celebrate the 150th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and the countries belonging to the former Monarchy, under the direction of the Budapest Museum of Fine Arts - Ferenc Hopp Museum of Asian Art. The representatives of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and Japan signed the trade and friendship treaty between the two countries in Tokyo on October 18, 1869, which had an impact on the international politics between the parties, promoted the development of trade and cultural transfer. Although the Monarchy disintegrated into several successor states after the end of 1918, the love of Japanese art and culture became part of the common cultural history of many countries in the Central and Eastern European region. The purpose of the study volume is to present the appreciation and appreciation of Japanese culture and its role as an inspiration for local artists. This volume is the fruit of a three-year collaborative project, during which Japonism researchers from countries that were once part of the Monarchy worked together. The seventeen specialist studies are divided into four thematic segments. The unit A New Acquaintance introduces the reader to the historical, political, and cultural milieu of the beginning of Japonism in East-Central Europe, which was as special for the young Monarchy as it was for the Japanese Empire, which was undergoing significant social changes due to the restoration of imperial power. The second part, Traveling Artifacts, focuses on the reception, collection and interpretation of Central European Japanese artworks. The third unit, Artists and Works of Art, discusses such classic themes of Japonism as painting, printmaking, ceramic and glass art, and theater. The last part of the volume, The Incentives of Japonism, focuses on the cultural, political, social phenomena and atmosphere in Central Europe, which provided fertile ground for the absorption of Japanese culture and made the citizens of the Monarchy more open to new impulses from the East than at any time before.