MEANING OF THE KIMONO

Monet highlights the difference between the Western world and "the exotic other" Japan with the kimono, while Kuroda shows the natural daily life with the same kimono.

Claude Monet, La Japonaise, 1876, oil on canvas, 231.8 × 142.3 cm, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Monet's Kimono

The first work is an 1876 oil painting by Claude Monet called La Japonaise. It is a portrait modeled by Monet's first wife, Camille Doncieux. Interestingly, Camille has dark hair; however, she wore a blonde wig for this painting to emphasize her European identity. Like this intriguing point, the whole picture is superficial. The woman is posing to the viewer in a somewhat uncomfortable pose. The wall with the Japanese uchiwa fans makes the image feel more unreal. It's not a natural backdrop. Everything looks clearly staged. There's also a contrast between the blonde European woman and the odd dark-haired samurai on her kimono, emphasizing the "exotic other" of the Japanese.

Kuroda Seiki, Maiko, 1893, oil on canvas, 80.4 x 65.3 cm, Tokyo National Museum

Seiki's Kimono

This is unlike the oil painting Maiko created by Kuroda Seiki in 1893. Kuroda's painting shows a Japanese woman wearing her traditional clothes, unlike Monet's. Unlike La Japonaise, the subject of the Maiko is in a natural pose. She is not posing. The background of both is different as well. Unlike the staged setting of La Japonaise, Maiko shows a view of nature. The girl also does not make eye contact with the viewer, unlike Camille. Her face is turned toward the young woman as if in a moment of conversation. It's as if the audience has been invited to glimpse at the girl's daily life. There's a difference between faux vs. natural. However, both artists use vibrant colors. Both works emphasize the color of the kimono. However, Monet highlights the difference between the Western world and "the exotic other" Japan with the kimono, while Kuroda shows the natural daily life with the same kimono. Both artists were influenced by one another's culture in that Monet is inspired by the Japanese aesthetics and Seiki is influenced by the Western techniques (as seen in this painting made with oil paint), but the way he has merged that into his own style is different. Monet highlights the "other" and foreign aspect, while Seiki tries to make it fit into the Japanese culture, making it natural.

Even though both subjects are shown with the same clothes, there is a stark contrast in the message they are sending.