Vincent van Gogh changed his entire painting style because he was obsessed with Japanese art.

In the mid-1800s, Japan began trading with Europe for the first time in centuries. This brought thousands of Japanese artworks called Ukiyo-e prints to France. Van Gogh and his brother Theo bought hundreds of these prints. Vincent studied them to learn how to paint differently than other European artists.In 1887, Van Gogh painted copies of famous works by the Japanese artist Utagawa Hiroshige. He practiced using bold outlines and bright, flat colors. He stopped using traditional shadows and 3D effects. This style made his paintings look more modern and less like a photograph.Van Gogh even moved to the south of France because he thought the bright sunlight looked like Japan. He used high horizon lines and unusual angles in his landscapes. These ideas came directly from his print collection. Even the swirls in 'The Starry Night' are similar to the waves in famous Japanese prints.By using these Japanese methods, Van Gogh helped start a new way of painting. He focused on how colors made him feel rather than making things look perfectly real. His collection of prints is now kept in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.