Georges Clemenceau and Japan

Georges Clemenceau's infatuation with Japonism coincided with the 1867 Universal Exhibition in Paris. Japan appeared for the first time on the list of 41 countries represented. An aristocracy and a bourgeoisie eager for curiosities and novelties flocked to the showcases filled with objects from Japan.

Georges Clemenceau became a collector andtook part in this buying frenzy between 1870 and 1880. The art world was in turmoil. The apparent lightness of the motifs in ceramics and prints disturbed the classical vision of the arts.

Among the artists, Édouard Manet and Claude Monet collected prints and contributed to the rise of the Impressionist movement. In 1907, Clemenceau, then President of the French Council, imposed Manet's sulphurous painting "L'Olympia" on the Musée du Luxembourg.

Clemenceau's collections reveal a man fascinated by the Orient. Promoting the art of Japan, he lent and donated objects to the Musée Guimet. His penchant for Japanese graphic art is reflected in a large collection ofprints by Hiroshige and Hokusai . His love of nature is reflected in the purchase of 2,500 kogôs or incense boxes, decorated with bestiary and flora from the Far East.

In his Vendée retreat of Saint Vincent sur Jard, he takes a piece of Japan with him. Two bronze foxes are placed in front of his bedroom door in the manner of Shinto temples, and Japanese carp or koinobori, floating at the end of a pole, indicate his presence in the Vendée. In his wild garden, where he strolls in the company of his guests, he likes to contemplate nature and pick the last flower of summer...