I didn’t know what to expect when I first walked into the Literary Museum of Kochi. But I certainly didn’t expect to find an exhibition about France. But find one I did, because at the time of my visit, the museum was hosting an exhibition to celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Rose of Versailles, an incredibly popular manga all about the court of Marie Antoinette.
Now, full disclosure, I hadn’t heard of The Rose of Versailles prior to visiting this museum, much less read it. And the vast majority of the exhibition was in Japanese, so I still don’t know all that much about it. But I loved looking at all of the images and drawings that were on display and seeing how a Japanese artist has interpreted French history. But my favourite item on display was the beautiful 18th century French dress above. I’ve seen countless dresses like this on display in France, but for some reason, it was so much more special to see one on display in Japan. I love it when cultures influence each other like this.
Suggestions for artists I should check out? Please contact me with your ideas. I hope you enjoyed your daily helping of art!
