Japonism

After that Japanese ports reopened to trade with the west in 1853, a tidal wave of Japanese imports flooded the European shores. The French were exposed to Japanese art and culture. They were fascinated with art of the Far East.The most important imported goods were woodcut prints by masters of the ukiyo-e school which changed  Impressionist  art by demonstrating that simple, everyday subjects from daily life could be presented in appealingly decorative ways.
   The characteristics of ukiyo-e school {asymmetrical compositions with strong lines of delineation, areas of intricate patterns and large areas of unshaded flat colors }influenced many young artists who refused the standards of arts followed at that time .
Some famous artists such as,  Van Gogh Monet and Degas studied the techniques and developed a melange of both western and eastern methods.