The White Kimono

The White Kimono, created in Cos Cob, Connecticut, exhibits the Impressionists' interest in Japanese aesthetics, which they learned about primarily from imported Japanese woodblock prints. The simplicity of the composition, shallow perspective, and the kimono derive from Japanese sources, as well as from the aesthetic influence of James Abbot McNeill Whistler. Hassam's perspective, slightly askew, draws attention to the print as a work of art that should be appreciated for its design and technical qualities rather than as an illustration of a specific incident.