Japanese Postcards
Japanese postcard art reflected Japan's artistic climate well into the first half of the 20th century. Changing definitions of East and West were manifested in a move toward Art Nouveau, with its curving, sinuous lines, and later, Art Deco's stylized sophistication. While nihonga artists preserved more traditional methods of the pre-
Meiji era, yōga artists were influenced by Western oil painting. The parameters of graphic design expanded, as diptychs, triptychs, collage, overhead views, painted and photographic images, and vivid colors enlivened these mini masterpieces.
