Paul Ranson

Ranson, along with Maurice Denis, Pierre Bonnard and Eduard Vuillard was a key member of a brotherhood of young artists called The Nabis. The term derived from the Hebrew word Nabiim meaning 'divinely inspired', which suited the group’s common interest in recent Symbolist literature and art. They built upon the artistic principles of Gauguin, developing a colour saturated palette that would complement their fluid and fantastical forms. The style shows a strong influence taken from Far-Eastern works synonymous with the Japoniste trends of the time. Ranson, the most fervent proponent of the style became known as the Nabi plus japonard que le Nabi japonard.

These works show the overwhelming impact of Japanese art on the visual appearance of fine and decorative art in Europe at the time. He not only uses Japanese compositional techniques and subjects but, as with many of the other Nabis, he adopts characteristic stylisations of form and colour. The accentuated shapes and sinuous lines, the lavish use of patterns and arabesques and the flatness of the pictorial surface are all elements derived from his knowledge of Japanese prints.