The Negative Reflection of Westernization: Bigot’s Monsieur et Madame
Not all of the reflections on Japan’s Bunmei Kaika were positive, as depicted in George Bigot’s caricature Monsieur et Madame Vont Dans le Monde. Bigot, a Frenchman living in Japan, was famed for his satirical cartoons of life in the Meiji era. He published his work in the satirical magazine Tobae, which he created himself for other Frenchmen living in Japan, and in which he published Monsieur et Madame[1]. The image depicts a Japanese man and woman in full Western dress gazing at their reflections in the mirror. The man in particular looks pleased with himself; he stands confidently, one hand on his hip, seeming satisfied with what he sees in the mirror. The woman seems far less impressed, her expression grim despite the flounces and accessories which should make her “civilized” and sophisticated. What the observer sees staring back at the couple is the truth, that the man and woman are simply a pair of apes in fancy clothes. The Japanese at the top left of the cartoon reads “gauche” or “cheeky”, and the French caption translates roughly as “The gentleman and lady enter into the world,” indicating that the caricature might have implications to those beyond Japanese borders.
The cartoon is a commentary on civilization and then tension at the cross-section of Westernization, Japanese opinions of civilization, and the Western view of civilization. Though there are many possible interpretations, the most likely two hinge on what the man and woman see in the mirror. As the man’s expression is self-satisfied or pleased, it would appear that all he sees in the mirror is himself wearing Western clothes, while Bigot’s French speaking audience knows the truth: no matter how he tries, the man (and thus Japan) will never truly be civilized, enlightened, or Western, but always a second, animal class. If the woman’s grim expression is to be taken as an indication that they, or at least she, sees in their reflection the same beasts that the audience does, then the message shifts slightly and the couple knows that for all their trappings of Westernization they are inferior. The man’s expression appears stronger than the woman’s, and for that reason the first interpretation appears more plausible, and also reflects the audience Bigot was entertaining. To the Western observer, the effected European style and social interaction might appear a quaint, if futile effort. Furthermore, in an age where the pseudo-science of phrenology fascinated the West, the man’s large, oddly shaped skull might serve to remind the reader of the true savages that lurked under the colorful costumes[2].
Despite the mocking tone of many of Bigot’s drawing, not to mention his unfortunate last name, Bigot was not anti-Japanese. He lived there for many years, even marrying a Japanese woman and fathering a son before returning to France. Unlike the Chikanobu print, the implications of Westernization seem strongly negative here, and Bigot’s opinions in little doubt. As both the print and the caricature were created the same year, 1887, observing other forms of art around civilization and the Rokumeikan-style Westernization would be illuminating, particularly any trends in Western versus Japanese artists.