Art Nouveau (French for “new art”) flourished in Europe from the end of the 19th to the beginning of the 20th century. Japanese art was a formative influence on the style. While on the one hand a cutting-edge art movement, Art Nouveau was also a mirror that reflected and absorbed images of Japan.

This exhibition presents works by Henry van de Velde and Alfonse Mucha while also examining developments in Japanese crafts and design of the same era, including artists such as Miyagawa Kozan I and Sugiura Hisui, who incorporated expressions from Art Nouveau. Moreover, while focusing on the special characteristics of Japanese art as a source of inspiration for Art Nouveau, the exhibition traces the underlying view of nature, aspects of which have been carried on until the present day, in a variety of works.

In this exhibition, comprised of works from the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo along with related pieces from the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, we consider Art Nouveau from a wide range of perspectives. Viewers will have an opportunity to experience the dynamism of various cultures coming into contact and resonating with each other, and the delicate Japanese sensibility that gave rise to outstanding crafts.