Temple de la Dent à Kandy

Painted in 1877, Temple de la Dent à Kandy is a work by Félix Élie Régamey, now in the collection of Guimet Museum, that reflects the artistic concerns of the late 19th century — an era of fundamental transformation in both the methods and purposes of European and American painting. Félix Régamey was a French artist and illustrator who traveled extensively in Japan and the United States, producing documentary images of Japanese life during the Meiji period that constitute valuable visual records of a society in rapid transformation.

Régamey drew on Japanese printmaking aesthetics in his compositional approach, employing flat color areas, bold outlines, and asymmetrical compositions that reflect direct engagement with Japanese visual culture. His illustration work shows considerable graphic economy and elegant line.