Paul Jacoulet was born in Paris in 1902 and lived in Japan for most of his life. He is considered one of the few western artists to have mastered the art of woodblock printing sufficiently to be recognized in Japan. His works are almost all people, either portraits or full body images capturing some background details. He has had number of exhibits in the years since his death including two at the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena (1983 and 1990), the Yokohama Art Museum (1996 and 2003), the Riccar Museum in Tokyo (1982), and the Isla Center for the Arts on Guam (1992 and 2006). He also achieved some recognition in his lifetime including an exhibit sponsored by the US Fifth Air Force (in 1946 according to Time Magazine). Many prints are very rare because all Jacoulet’s pre-World War II work that had not already been taken out of the country by collectors was destroyed by fire. Jacoulet was a true renaissance man –French but born and raised in Japan, expert in Kabuki, proficient on traditional Japanese musical instruments, a good calligrapher, conversant in several languages, and a recognized butterfly collector.

Twentieth century Japan produced several outstanding artists of the woodblock genre, including Goyo, Onchi, Shinsui and Munakata. Jacoulet has always been a disturbing factor because he does not quite fit into the common mold. He should be viewed as a separate and distinct entity. He belongs in the twentieth century European world of artist such as Matisse, Gauguin, Georgio de Chirico and Derain. His daring use of color, combined with extraordinarily inventive compositions make his prints well worth notice. When one adds the meticulous attention to surface detail, often bordering on the gilded lily, his prints become a unique production assuring him a niche in the history of Western art.

The marriage of the skilled mastery of the ukiyo-e techniques combined with the view of an occidental eye puts this artist into a category of great interest. An amalgam of influences finds expression in those artists who live in a country whose culture they greatly admire and whose life-style they adopt while retaining a personal approach which bespeaks their own origin. This mixture illuminates the arts of both sources. Paul Jacoulet is a fine example of such an artist.