IMPRESSIONISM
by Réhahn
“For an Impressionist to paint from nature is not to paint the subject, but to realize sensations.”
Paul Cezanne
Artist’s Statement
I was born in Normandy and often strode through the streets of Honfleur (the birthplace of Impressionism), where I’m lucky enough to still have a residence. My passion for nature, bright colors and the effects created by light are not due to chance: they are the fruits of my artistic education.
The Impressionist movement in painting no longer needs to be explained. But in photography, it seemed essential to me to redefine the contours of this movement that I hope to initiate, and which will perhaps inspire other artists.
Impressionism worships the effects of light on the colors of nature. In nature, no color exists by itself. The tinting of objects is pure illusion. The only source for the creation of different colors is the sunlight, which envelops all things and reveals them, according to the hours of the day, and to its infinite nuances.
Refusing to use filters or any other artifice for the retouching of my images, I decided to use nature itself to give my work an impressionistic aspect which, under the right conditions, can almost appear to have the texture of paint.
The use of reflections (a constant source of inspiration for Monet), the distortion of a scene through the heat of a fire, or even through drops of falling rain, are necessary effects for the creation of these artistic works. They also use the bright complimentary colors and pastoral scenes that filled the oeuvres of painters such as an Gogh and Pissarro.
Beyond light and color, Impressionist painters were also strongly influenced by the compositions in traditional Japanese art forms. Artists like Degas redefined the balanced composition, which was formerly so dear to the West. Some critics saw these new layouts on the canvas as failed pictorial attempts; but art historians quickly understood the intention, their sources of inspiration as well as the beauty of off-center paintings, intense flat colors, and even the use of empty space.
This is what inspires me about Impressionism, and the spirit with which I took great pleasure in photographing this ongoing series.
A SHORT HISTORY OF
IMPRESSIONISM IN FINE ART
Impressionism began in France in the late 1800s. While Impressionist paintings may not seem rebellious now, the movement was considered radical in the 19th century. At the time, the Académie des Beaux-Arts, an academic art association in Paris, set the rules for what was considered acceptable in French art.
Realism and classical subject matters were the standards. In contrast, the Impressionists were considered to be stylistically “sloppy” or unfinished. Yet, this lack of exact detail was exactly what these painters were after.
The invention of the paint tube in 1841 allowed artists the freedom to get out of their studios to paint in the open air with ready-mixed colors. This Plein Air style allowed them to quickly create studies as the light changed. The Impressionists sought to capture the interplay of sunlight and color by painting as rapidly as possible, with less adherence to replicating an exact scene.
Impression, 1872 by Claude MonetThe focus on brighter colors and short brushstrokes resulted in works that evoked emotion through movement and shape rather than the historical and mythological narratives that were popular during the time period. These paintings were intentionally meant to be impressions of what the artist saw in the present moment, rather than relying on the archetypes of the past.
Impressionism and photography intersected very early on because the first exhibition of the works of these innovative painters was held at the studio of the portrait photographer Felix Nadar in 1874. Most of the showcased works had been rejected by the Académie, yet they included paintings by some of the most important artists in art history by today’s standards – Monet, Sisley, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne, Cassatt, and Pissarro, to name a few. Degas was also fond of using photography to plan his compositions before beginning his paintings. Even though the Impressionist’s style was mocked by critics, it soon found its permanent place in art history.
Claude Monet Painting by the Edge of a Wood, 1856-1925 by John Singer Sargent
The Influence of Japanese Art on Impressionism
The Impressionists were influenced by the sudden influx of Japanese items that entered France when trade was reintroduced between the two countries. In 1867, Japan held its first arts and crafts showcase in France during the Exposition Universelle in Paris and many styles that were previously unknown in Europe became the height of style. This included using closely framed perspectives on objects or subjects, as in Japanese print work. Ukiyo-e, which loosely translates to “pictures of the floating world,” was the name for Japanese woodblock prints that were popular during the country’s Edo Period (1615-1868). They were inexpensive to make and relatively easy to reproduce, making them one of the art world’s first forms of mass-produced art. This also made ukiyo-e a natural export product to Europe.
Many of Van Gogh’s portraits used this tightly cropped layout to add emotion and style to his compositions. This perspective that became so popular in the late 1800s remains an important compositional technique in contemporary art and photography today. Van Gogh was also fond of borrowing certain textures and motifs from Japanese art. His portrait of Père Tanguy (1887) shows a European man sitting in front of a wall covered in traditional Japanese motifs.
Degas and Monet also embraced the trend. Degas’ paintings followed a common Japanese style of depicting women going about their daily lives as the main subject. While Monet’s bridge above his waterlily pond draws obvious similarities to popular Japanese woodblock prints.
Impressionism was truly a movement formed from a rebellion against the stringent directives of European artistic societies. The influence of what became known as Japonisme on the Impressionists works was not a usurpation of Japanese culture, instead, it was a transformation of the way that fine artists approached their works with respect to new influences, lending layers of depth and history to their paintings.
More than just a technique, Impressionism was a revolution, a philosophy, a movement, and a retreat from the industrialism of the age. It embraced the idea of not just painting things as they are, but how they appear to be.
Portrait of Père Tanguy, 1887 by Vincent van GoghTHE FINE ART
PHOTOGRAPHY SERIES
INSPIRATION
GOLDEN FIELD
Hoi An - 2020
an Gogh’s series of wheat field paintings show the importance he put into his color palette. He often paired ochre yellow and sky blue, colors can naturally be found throughout the Vietnamese countryside during the autumn months. In October, typhoons increasingly touch down on the coast of Hoi An. When the storm passed, the rice fields and town were left flooded with water and fish washed in from the sea. This oeuvre was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to capture both the colors reminiscent of 19th-century masterworks and to represent the resilience of the Vietnamese people.
CREATION
This artistic work was shot just after the typhoon passed, when the golden light returned to the countryside. The texture of floating rice stalks with their wide expanse of burnt sienna and umber colors takes up the majority of the composition with more space on the left vs. the right side of the image. The unbalanced ratio between the subject and the colored empty space creates a sense of movement and intrigue. We follow the sight line of the man rather than pausing on him alone. This off-center cropping between the background and the subject was something that the Impressionists often played with in their works to lend a more spontaneous and compelling atmosphere to their compositions.
After a typhoon, rice stalks floated on top of high flood waters. Rather than wasting the opportunity, fishermen, such as the man featured in this work, came to the fields to cast their nets in the water-logged fields.
Wheatfield with Crows, 1890 by Vincent Van Gogh
INSPIRATION
Water Lilies, 1906 by Claude Monet
cho is an homage to Monet and his passion for waterlilies. In symbolism, reflections represent the idea of truth. In the Impressionist movement, painters used reflections to see the ephemeral nature of light through a new lens.
CREATION
In Hoi An, it’s common to see women tending to lotus blossoms in ponds and waterways. Réhahn wanted to highlight the symbolism of the flowers. Lotuses are symbols of strength and rebirth because they rise each morning from the murky water to open their perfect petals, only to sink again in the evening. In this photograph, he shot only the reflection of the woman in the water, while the flowers remain the focal point - as if they are the only reality, not humankind.
Hoi An - 2021
A soft reflection of an artisan tending to her lotus blossoms in the late afternoon recalls the myth of the water nymph Echo and Narcissus. The quiet beauty of the flowers draws the viewer down to gaze at the image in the rippled pond.
INSPIRATION
RESTING GOLD
The Post Impressionist movement was led by painters such as Cézanne, Van Gogh, Seurat, and Gauguin. While the Post-Impressionists valued pastoral settings like the Impressionists, they focused more on symbolism and the meanings of certain colors or images. Van Gogh often used the complementary tones of blue and yellow to create harmony in his works. Resting Gold explores the uplifting atmosphere that this classic color combination creates.
CREATION
This artistic work was created during the harvest season in Hoi An when the rice fields are naturally filled with the beloved golden tones of the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painters. The sense of negative space is also important in the composition. The textural element of the burnished rice stalks holds more weight than the central subject. Balancing wide expanses of colored “emptiness” with a detailed focal point is a compositional technique inspired by Japanese printwork that became a mainstay in the Impressionist movement.
Like a scene from a fairy tale, a farmer clad in sky blue enjoys a rest in a rice field that looks like it’s been spun from pure gold.
INSPIRATION
Réhahn was inspired by the luminescence and dreamy reflections in the rice paddies near Hoi An. The idea of cropping the shot to capture the reflection and not the actual subjects is a nod to the off-center compositions found in the Japonisme style.
CREATION
The soft reflection of the women in the water and the plant life work together to create a painterly texture in the style of Impressionism. The central point of the photograph uses negative space or emptiness to highlight the balance of the two women on either side.
IMPRESSION
Hoi An - 2022
Two women in their traditional non la hats are reflected in the rippled water of a flooded rice field near Hoi An.
The work creates a gentle impression of traditional life in the Vietnamese countryside.
OASIS
Hoi An - 2022
INSPIRATION STORY
RTHE éhahn was inspired by the myriad of reflections that appear on the beach in the early morning before the warmth from the sun has dried the sand. Manet, Cézanne, Caillebotte, and Cassatt all explored reflections differently in their paintings. Unconfined by the previous requirements to remain realistic, they played with the emotional atmosphere that can be created when one gives more weight to the reflection than to the actual subject.
CREATION
The effect was created by shooting a scene directly in the reflection made in the wet sand. The combination of the warm light at dawn and the gentle blur creates a dreamlike atmosphere. The color palette was inspired by light yellows and golds to give a sense of dramatic light and emotion.
The idea behind this artistic piece of a woman walking on the sand was to create the illusion that she is just a memory, a mirage on the beach.
Anod to the layers of color used by painters such as Van Gogh and Millet, Flame appears like an antique painting rather than a contemporary photo. The texture in this work is important. It appears to be composed of short, stylistic brush strokes. The sensation of movement and spontaneity was a hallmark of Impressionist works, which valued speed and abstraction to create an imprint of a scene rather than an exact replica.
CREATION
In this work, Réhahn experimented with the effects that heat can make—shot through the waves of heat distortion and flames, the image takes on the texture and glow of oil paint without using any filters.
FLAME Hoi An - 2022
In Flame, a woman burns her field to nourish her soil with the ashes.
The ground will be reborn as a peanut garden.
Wheatfield with a Reaper, 1853 by Vincent Van Gogh
The cycle of rebirth inspired these works, drawing on the color palette of antique paintings and the freestyle of the Impressionist painters while remaining true to contemporary life in Vietnam.
CREATION
Shot through waves of heat, the images takes on a glaze of color and softened edges, taking away the crisp imagery that photography is known for and instead playing into the painterly quality of ages past.
GLOWING FIELD
Hoi An - 2022
A woman leans into her work, fanning flames in a rice field after the harvest. The ash will sink into the soil, nourishing and regenerating it for future crops.
INSPIRATION
The cycle of rebirth inspired these works, drawing on the color palette of antique paintings and the freestyle of the Impressionist painters while remaining true to contemporary life in Vietnam.
CREATION
Shot through waves of heat, the images takes on a glaze of color and softened edges, taking away the crisp imagery that photography is known for and instead playing into the painterly quality of ages past.
FLAME II
Hoi An - 2022
A swirl of smoke and flames seems to ripple the air when seen through waves of heat. A woman works to burn the rice paddy to ash that will replenish the soil with new life. The work creates a painterly impression of the scene with softened details and heightened motion.
INSPIRATION
Into the Cloud - continues Réhahn’s smoke series, which began with “Flame.” In Vietnam, it is common to burn fields between crops to regenerate the soil. Caught within the smoke, this farmer seems to be lifted within billowing clouds.
CREATION
This photo was shot through smoke and heat waves in order to distort the vision and soften the lines. On metallic paper, the photo is given additional depth, which adds to the painterly effect. The image is closely cropped to highlight the surreal sensation of floating.
INTO THE CLOUD
A woman fanning the smoke in her field seems to be rowing through a veil of clouds. The deep red tone of her clothing stands out like a splash of paint in the haze.
INSPIRATION
Serenity celebrates the different shades of historical Hoi An through the impression of the old town caught in the reflection of the Thu Bon river. Réhahn was inspired by the way that certain tones that are so prevalent in Hoi An—ochre yellow, leaf green, and light blue—are also the shades used by certain fine art painters.
CREATION
The abstraction of the architecture and the walking woman are created by capturing the scene through moving water. The ripples that occurred made a textural effect, not unlike layers of paint and glaze. It took Réhahn three days to find the perfect light, wind (for the speed of the water) and subject.
SERENITY
A glimpse of orchid against deep yellow reveals the form of a woman bringing her vegetables to the market in the early morning. Hoi An, seen through the reflection of constantly moving river water, highlights the impermanence of time.
INSPIRATION
Réhahn has returned again and again to Vietnam’s fishermen, shooting them in different styles to capture the light and reflections in the water. The colors of the net and the sky merge to transform the scene into the sublime.
CREATION
The mosaic created with light and netting seems to fragment the image like a honeycomb. Shot through the fishing net and closely cropped to highlight the texture, the photograph takes on an element of pointillism. The balance of blue and yellow recall the favorite tones of several painters such as Van Gogh and Pissarro.
THROUGH THE NET
Glimpsed through the texture of a fishing net, a man appears to float in a golden glaze.
INSPIRATION
The luminous blues and greens of this rice paddy recall Monet’s brushstrokes. The farmer’s silhouette creates a focal point, yet, the fact that his frame is filled with the texture of plants makes the natural world the star.
CREATION
Smudged with the reflections of fragmented clouds, the water in Luminous adds structure and depth to the image. Réhahn shot the image through the reflection in the water to transform the subject’s form. From the vibrancy of the rice stalks in the foreground to the silhouette and rippled water that draws us deeper into the scene, this tranquil photo is layered across several visual planes.
LUMINOUS Hoi An - 2023
A watery world appears like a splash of Aquarelle colors spilling through a flooded rice field.
INSPIRATION
Réhahn has repeatedly returned to photograph Can Gio’s salt fields in different ways. As the workers rake the dried crystals, it gives the scene the geometric tranquility and beauty of a Japanese rock garden. Shallow pools are flooded with seawater, which reflects the sky, making the farmers appear to be floating in clouds.
CREATION
This Impressionist photography style was created by shooting within a reflection. Striations of salt float across the image like clouds, revealing a surreal effect, as water transforms into sky. Colors and shadows work together to form a relief element that appears to be applied with a palette knife, lifting the scene from its two-dimensionality into a textural landscape.
CLOUDKEEPER Can Gio - 2023
As if balanced on thin air, a man sweeps waves of salt across a salt field in Can Gio, Vietnam.
INSPIRATION
Réhahn series of Impressionist photos in Can Gio’s salt fields approach the effect of reflections and salt in different ways. The scattering of salt across the flooded fields creates the effect of three-dimensional texture, as the pools reflect both the workers and the sky above.
CREATION
Shot through the softening effect of a reflection, the texture of the water appears like paint applied with a palette knife. Reminiscent of the rowers immortalized by the French painter Gustav Caillebotte, “Ocean Waves” creates a timeless focal point.
OCEAN WAVES Can Gio - 2023
A man seems to emerge from the waves in a wash of gentle colors.
ROYAL CARMINE IMPERIAL
Like a beam of sunlight breaking through the darkness, Royal emerges from its background to make a dynamic statement. The bright citrine merges the color of lucky apricot blossoms with the sweetness of honey. From the golden architecture of the royal palace in Hue to the regal beauty of the robes of Vietnamese emperors from times past, yellow is a color that has symbolized royalty for centuries.
A flash of carmine red bends shadow and light like the sharp fold of origami. This artistic work is a nod to traditional Japanese and Vietnamese art forms. Inspired by the feminine lines of the ao dai, Vietnam’s traditional dress, as well as the Japonisme trend that added style and texture to the oeuvres of the Impressionist painters. Red is the color of prosperity in Asia. It is often used to bring luck for the lunar New Year as well as for nuptial celebrations.
The elegance of Imperial blue glimmers in the dark, hinting at a royal bloodline from a vanished Dynasty. The symbolic presence of the ao dai and non la hat add Vietnam’s historical presence within a black background that is an homage to 19th-century Japonisme. Blue is a symbol of hope and peace in Vietnam.
INSPIRATION
The symbolic presence of Vietnam’s cultural icons in Imperial, Carmine and Royal stand out within an inky background that is a nod to 19th-century Japanese art forms. The style of traditional Japanese prints broke many of the academic art rules that had thus far controlled the ways that painters were allowed to compose and realize their works. Some of these departures from the European norm included closely cropped perspectives, a sense of verticality, that can be found in the kakemono hanging scrolls that often adorn the entrances to Japanese homes, and the negative space around the subjects that was so precious to Japanese artists. Take a deeper look at Carmine, Royal, and Imperial to try to see how some of these artistic principles inspired the compositions.
CREATION
“Carmine” and the artistic works “Imperial” and “Royal” form a triptych in homage to the movement of Japonisme. They use empty space in the background, verticalism, and colors that symbolize power in Asian cultures. In addition, they merge the iconic symbols of Vietnam—the ao dai and non la hat—with the use of a folding fan, a traditional Japanese art form. The photos were taken in a temple in Hoi An, with natural light. The dark interior of the temple contrasts with the high luminosity of mid-day.
La Japonaise, 1876 by Claude Monet
The Courtesan, 1853 - 1890 by Vincent Van Gogh
Réhahn
“Impressionism in photography is to paint the transparency of life.”
Interested in Learning More About the Artistic Movements that Inspired Réhahn’s Ongoing IMPRESSIONIST Series?
Here is a condensed list of some of the books that the artist used to gather inspiration
“Journal de Julie Manet”
Written by Julie Manet between 1893-1899
Published by Mercure de Fran, 2017.
“The Complete Letters of Vincent Van Gogh” (3 Volumes)
Written by Vincent Van Gogh between 1872-1890
Published by Bulfinch Press; 2nd edition, 1991.
“Le Japon à Paris - Japonais et Japonisants de L'ère Meiji aux Années 1930”
by Brigitte Koyama-Richard
Published by Scala, 2018
“Japonismes/Impressionnismes” by Marina Ferretti Bocquillon
Published by Gallimard, 2018.
“The French Impressionist” by Camille Mauclair
Published by Good Press, 1903.
“Impressionism” by Nathalia Brodskaïa
Published by Parkstone International, 2019.
“Post-Impressionism” by Nathalia Brodskaïa
Published by Parkstone International, 2014.
“Impressionnisme et Japonisme” by Jean Colin
Published by Edilivre, 2015.
“Degas: Danse Dessin” by Paul Valery
Published by Gallimard, 2017.
BIOGRAPHY
Referred to as an artist who "captures the souls of his models" (Wanderlust Travel Magazine, 2018), the French photographer Réhahn is more than just a man behind a camera. Behind each click is a story. Whether the photograph shows a child with startling blue eyes, a woman pulling a needle through indigo fabric or a man walking alone down a brightly painted street, these are more than just images to Réhahn. They are the culmination of an experience. The stories of his subjects as well as his passion to learn more about their culture, diversity and changing traditions are what drives Réhahn’s work throughout Vietnam, India, Cuba and beyond.
Réhahn’s unique combination of Fine Art photography and Documentary styles results in images that both inform and mesmerize. His portraits are prized for this reason. They take the viewer along on the voyage to catch a glimpse of authentic interactions with people, their smiles, their wisdom, their daily lives.
In 2011, Réhahn moved from France to Hoi An, Vietnam. His portraits, lifestyle, and landscape photographs of the country were immediately met with international recognition. His now iconic portrait of 72-year-old tour boat captain Bui Thi Xong “Hidden Smile” was particularly well-received, with more than 80 articles and 10 television interviews for this photo alone. In 2015, the portrait was inaugurated into the permanent collection of The Asian House Museum in Havana, Cuba, alongside the artist’s renowned photograph “Best Friends” of a Mnong child with her elephant. For International Women's Day 2016, the portrait was placed in the permanent collection of the Hanoi Women's Museum. The final copy of the Limited Edition series became the most expensive photo sold in Asia when it was purchased by a private collector in 2019.
An equally memorable career moment took place in 2018 when “Hidden Smile” was given as a diplomatic gift from Former President of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong to French President Emmanuel Macron in celebration of 45 years of friendship between France and Vietnam.
“Hidden Smile” was used as the cover image of the artist’s first Fine Art photography coffee table book, "Vietnam, Mosaic of Contrasts,” which has been a bestseller since 2014. Réhahn followed this success with two subsequent books, Volume ll” in 2015, and Volume III” in 2020. In 2019, he published “100 Iconic Portraits,” which became a bestselling collection of his portraits from India, Vietnam, Malaysia and more.
To date, Réhahn has been featured in international media totalling more than 600 articles and interviews (most notably Condé Nast Traveler, The New York Times, National Geographic, and BBC among others), along with over 50 television appearances.
Réhahn’s Fine Art photography collections are exhibited at his art galleries in Hoi An and Saigon. His latest works center around certain principles of the Impressionist style of painting. The images, which merge texture, color, light and reflections, have started a new movement in photography. In addition to his galleries, Réhahn opened the Precious Heritage Cultural Museum and Art Gallery in Hoi An in 2017 to share his portraits of Vietnam’s diverse ethnic groups, their traditional costumes, stories, music, and artefacts. The museum is free to the public.
