Facsimile Through Xylography: Japanese Woodblock-Printed Painting Manuals in Belgian Institutions

This presentation examines Japanese woodblock-printed painting manuals from the mid-17th to early 20th centuries, focusing on two Belgian collections held at UCLouvain (Louvain-la-Neuve) and the Royal Museum of Art and History (Brussels). Produced to teach, document artistic lineages, and entertain, these manuals later acquired new meanings in Western contexts. One collection resulted from a post–World War I Japanese governmental donation, while the other emerged from private collecting during the height of Japonisme. Despite differing origins, both reflect curated visions of Japanese culture for Western audiences, raising methodological and digital challenges related to access, metadata, and materiality.