Hanako 1901 - 1911

Auguste Rodin made this drawing, "Hanako," with graphite and watercolor, on paper. It depicts the Japanese actress Hanako Ono, and the image speaks volumes about the West's fascination with Japanese culture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Rodin created this piece during a period known as Japonisme, when Japanese art and design profoundly influenced Western artists. The craze for Japanese art affected both subject and style. We see in this drawing the artist's interest in capturing Hanako's likeness and the cultural exoticism she embodied for Western audiences. It shows how the artist has internalized and responded to Japanese aesthetic principles, such as simplified forms and emphasis on line. To understand the drawing more fully, one might research the history of Japonisme. It’s also useful to read contemporary accounts of Hanako’s performances to appreciate her impact on the European imagination. Looking at Rodin's other drawings and sculptures of the period could reveal how his encounter with Japanese art reshaped his artistic practice.