Philippe Delord. Ukiyoe is particularly popular in France, where Hokusai and Hiroshige influenced the Impressionist movement. Monet in particular was fascinated with the Japanese approach – he painted the Japanese Bridge over his lily pond many times.
Artiste Philippe Delord, born in Lyon in 1961, now lives in Tours. Philippe is on a journey to illustrate geography and history.
In 2017 Philippe published a book of his contemporary paintings following in the footsteps of Hiroshige, « Tokaido, le chemin du monde flottant ». In this series Philippe shows what various Tokaido Post Towns, famously rendered by Hiroshige and Hokusai in the early 19C, look like now, in the early 21C. Like the ukiyoe masters of two centuries ago, Philippe captures in his works the mood and pace of contemporary Tokaido life and travel. Unlike many other former feudal traveling routes in Japan which are now only of historical interest, Tokaido remains a living route, still being the main trunk rail and road connection between Japan’s main centers of Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, and Osaka.
Philippe has also produced a series of works on Egypt, and has illustrated delightful books for children. He also lectures on the life of Henry de Monfreid, 19C and early 20C French adventurer and explorer.
Philippe’s Tokaido exhibition is coming to Japan October 2021 – March 2022, including probably at Chojiya. Enjoy a well-deserved post-COVID real-life inspirational experience!
