%202.jpg)
Since Crédit Agricole’s arrival in Japan in 1946, the bank has always strived to seek a deep understanding of its clients and their culture, believing this to be the foundation on which any strong relationship can flourish and benefit one another.
Since Crédit Agricole’s arrival in Japan in 1946, the bank has always strived to seek a deep understanding of its clients and their culture, believing this to be the foundation on which any strong relationship can flourish and benefit one another. This commitment to cultural appreciation has not only shaped our business practices but also reflects a broader historical exchange between Japan and France. To honor this tradition, and the evening we are about to share, Crédit Agricole CIB would like to thank its Japanese partners by highlighting the profound impact of Japan on French culture. Indeed, this influence extends far beyond the business world, touching even the realm of art. Some of the most renowned movements in French art, such as Impressionism, drew significant inspiration from Japanese aesthetics and techniques.
To complement your reading experience, we invite you to enjoy our exclusive, complimentary streaming playlist. Press ‘Play’ to listen to works by Japanese composers, which reflect the creative synergy between Japanese and French cultures.
In the 1860s, Paris was captivated by the visual arts of Japan, from prints and ceramics to lacquerware and everyday objects. The delicacy and simplicity of these creations profoundly disrupted the conventions of French painting, reshaping how nature, space, and light were perceived and portrayed.
This fascination went far beyond a mere curiosity for the exotic. It offered a new sensibility, a way of relating to nature, space, and movement that found unique resonance in French paintings.
Store such as Mr. and Mrs. Desoye – France’s first importers of Japanese art – became emblematic of this curiosity. Poet Charles Baudelaire himself visited the shop to admire the illustrated albums from Japan. Later, between 1890 and 1893, art dealer and publisher Samuel Bing organised a series of exhibitions in Paris dedicated to Japanese prints, introducing the French public to artworks with a completely different aesthetic.
It was in this context that Tadamasa Hayashi played a pivotal role. He arrived in France in 1878 as an interpreter for the World’s Fair, his role would soon expand far beyond translation. Recognising the growing European fascination for Japanese culture, Hayashi positioned himself as the cultural bridge, becoming a prominent art dealer and exhibition organiser. Through his network, he helped introduce ukiyo-e to French artists, critics, and collectors.
As the Impressionist movement – born in France in the 1870s and characterised by direct observation of nature, studies of light, and a free brushstroke – was flourishing, Hayashi visited Claude Monet, one of its pioneers. Hayashi sold him several prints, including two Impressionist paintings. This act of exchange symbolised a dialogue between two artistic worlds, built on admiration and the circulation of forms.
Monet had a collection of 231 Japanese prints in his Giverny house, including works by Hokusai, Hiroshige, and Utamaro. This collection is believed to have deeply influenced the way he composed his canvases.
For instance, The Bridge at Argenteuil (1874) closely mirrors the composition of a famous bridge by Hiroshige. In floral series such as Chrysanthemums and Clematis, Monet adopts a botanical approach reminiscent of the Japanese masters. This evolution culminates in his famous painting Water Lilies, where structure, rhythm, and light blend Japanese aesthetics with Western artistic exploration.
Other painters based in France embraced this cross-cultural influence. Edgar Degas drew inspiration from Kiyonaga and Harunobu; Camille Pissarro collected prints by Utamaro; Vincent van Gogh inspired himself from several of Hiroshige’s woodblocks, admiring their simplicity and visual power. These artists did more than merely borrow motifs, they discovered a new visual language. Japanese art offered fresh perspectives on composition, spatial organization, and the power of minimalism to convey emotion.
This influence extended beyond paintings. In Boulogne, near Paris, banker and philanthropist Albert Kahn created, between 1895 and 1920, a vast multi-scenic Japanese garden. This contemplative space, which included a village and an alpine-Japanese garden, reflected a desire to engage with alternative worldviews.
French critics were also part of this movement of recognition. Théodore Duret, in his Avant-Garde Criticism, connected the Impressionist sensibility to ukiyo-e. Gustave Geffroy, in Le Japon artistique, paid tribute to a culture he described as deeply poetic, attuned to nature and suggestion.
This dialogue was never one-sided. In 1893, Hayashi organised the first Impressionist exhibition in Tokyo, introducing the Japanese public to this movement. Since the 1920s, Japanese collector Kojiro Matsukata, passionate about Monet and Rodin, spent extended periods in France and acquired 25 of Monet’s paintings. His collection would later form the foundation of the future National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo.
In this way, works born from a French gaze transformed by Japanese aesthetics returned to Japan, bearing the fruit of a rich and lasting artistic exchange.
Even today, these ties continue to strengthen and evolve. Crédit Agricole CIB, through its long-standing and trusted relationship with Japan, supports major Japanese companies in their international development and promotes cultural cooperation. This commitment reflects a continuing dialogue based on respect, trust, and mutual enrichment.
.jpg)
