“Breton Woman” by Kanae Yamamoto | Style Imitating Art

Up next for Style Imitating Art…

About Style Imitating Art

Style Imitating Art is hosted by Salazar of 14 Shades of Grey, Terri of Meadow Tree Style, and Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge. Style Imitating Art challenges us to draw style inspiration from pieces of art. Every other Monday, one of the hosts, acting as presenter, selects an inspiration image that they will each post on their blogs. The following Monday, each host shares her art inspired outfit. Participants are invited to submit their art inspired outfits to the presenter by 10:00 p.m. EST on the Tuesday following the hosts’ art inspired outfit posts. The following day, Wednesday, the presenter will share all of the submissions on her blog.

You don’t have to be a blogger to join either! In fact, you don’t even have to join but you can still use the art to inspire an outfit just for the sake of trying something different. If you want to share your inspired outfit, we invite you do so on Instagram or any other social media platform that you prefer. Just be sure to tag Salazar, Terri, and Shelbee or use #TeamLOTSStyle and #StyleImitatingArt so the hosts know you have joined. Go have some fun in your closets and join the SIA challenge next week!

This Week’s Presenter

Salazar chose this week’s work because she likes its simple and subdued color scheme as well as the Japanese influence that is applied to Western subject matter.

The Artwork

Breton Woman (or, Woman of Brittany) by Kanae Yamamoto

Kanae Yamamoto was a Japanese artist best known for his woodblock prints and his Western style paintings. He has been credited with beginning the “creative prints” movement which encouraged self expressive printmaking in contrast to the commercial studio print systems of that time.

Woman of Brittany is a 1920 woodblock print featuring the portrait of a Breton woman in very conservative black and white attire with a serious and somber visage. Like Salazar, I am also drawn to the simple and subdued color palette and I am really digging the big bold stripes on the bodice of her dress. But her expression makes me feel sadness. Perhaps she is in mourning, hence the dark outfit and hat. Or maybe her headpiece is indicative of some melancholy occupation. In 1920, Brittany was just beginning to emerge from the wreckage of the first World War so perhaps that is a cause of her apparent sorrow. I guess we are left only to our speculations!

While I have no styling ideas as of yet, I do have a closet room filled with things to play dress up. So let the dress up games begin!

If you want to join us for this week’s challenge and be featured with your art inspired outfit in Salazar’s review post on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, please be sure to submit your photos to her at 14shadesofgreyblog@gmail.com by 10:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, May 9, 2023. 

Happy styling! 

Keeping it on the edge, 

Shelbee

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