Baptism in the Japanese Style
Title
Baptism in the Japanese Style
Description
The first thing one notices about the work is that it is printed in two colors, with the little portrait standing out from the complex composition. Not all impressions are printed in this manner, with the artist choosing instead to use a black or dark brown ink over the entire plate, thus rendering the portrait less conspicuous.
The print commemorates the baptism of the artist’s son Jean, born in 1885. For the surrounding imagery, Buhot revived many of his earlier japonisme elements and included, not surprisingly, his pervasive owls. In placing his young son in such surroundings, Buhot was unconsciously prescient, as Jean Buhot followed in his father’s footsteps as an artist and also became an author and one of the foremost French experts on Japanese and Chinese art.
The print commemorates the baptism of the artist’s son Jean, born in 1885. For the surrounding imagery, Buhot revived many of his earlier japonisme elements and included, not surprisingly, his pervasive owls. In placing his young son in such surroundings, Buhot was unconsciously prescient, as Jean Buhot followed in his father’s footsteps as an artist and also became an author and one of the foremost French experts on Japanese and Chinese art.
Creator
Félix Buhot
French, 1847–1898
French, 1847–1898
Source
Private collection
Date
1887
Rights
This image is posted publicly for non-profit educational uses, excluding printed publication. Other uses are not permitted.
Format
Etching, sulphur tint, drypoint, aquatint, spirit aquatint, stop-out, and lift ground
State two of three
Plate: 8 5/8 x 5 3/16 inches
State two of three
Plate: 8 5/8 x 5 3/16 inches
Citation
Félix Buhot
French, 1847–1898, “Baptism in the Japanese Style,” Félix Buhot: Printmaker of Nineteenth-Century France, accessed March 18, 2026, https://buhotatthepalmer.arts.psu.edu/items/show/31.