The geographer J. Vermeer 1669
At the end of the 19th century many modern Western artists were impressed by the exotic Japanese art and culture(Japonism) . Many painters used Japanese elements in their work, often derived from Japanese woodblock prints, which came by thousands to Europe and the United States. From his diaries it is known that van Gogh was an active buyer of Japanese prints, studied them and used Japanese elements in some of his paintings. Often the kimono was used as a dress for a Western model.( Whistler, Breitner). Less known is that two centuries earlier (17th century), Dutch painters like Vermeer (see above) and Ferdinand Bol already used the kimono as a dress for western models. At that time Holland was the only nation allowed to have contacts with Japan. The kimono probably came to Holland through the Dutch VOC tradepost near Nagasaki and became somewhat adapted a very popular dress in Holland. It was a kind of chamber jacquet (Japonse rok) worn by the upper class and university students to emphasize their learned status.
