The art of shunga, or "images of spring", flourished during the Edo period (1603-1868), when Japan maintained rare contacts with the outside world and an urban culture, rich and refined, was blossoming. Nearly all the masters of ukiyo-e, beginning with Harunobu, Utamaro and Hokusai, produced erotic images, which is one of the major characteristics of this genre.
Originally, shunga took the form of paintings, reserved for an elite because of their rarity. But in the 17th century, with the rapid perfection of woodblock printing, printed books and prints became their main means of dissemination. It may seem surprising that, despite their licentious subject matter, many shunga were produced with remarkable care and constitute masterpieces of Japanese art. However, the masters of ukiyo-e considered the creation of erotic works to be an integral part of their work.
Humour is another major feature of shunga, which for a long time were called "images for laughter" (warai-e). It must indeed be emphasized that erotic works did not have as their sole function the stimulation of sexual desire. Their uses were manifold: to amuse, entertain, educate newlyweds... or even to protect against fires.
Equally surprising is the fact that in the 18th century, erotic depictions of courtesans, notably from the famous pleasure quarter of Yoshiwara, are few in number compared to those depicting the lovemaking of married couples or lovers. Shunga emphasize the sexual fulfillment of partners happy to make love and pay great attention to female pleasure. No doubt because the women of the Edo period also enjoyed contemplating these images.
Presented chronologically, the superb works gathered in this exhibition trace the evolution of shunga and deconstruct certain preconceived ideas about this art form, which is experiencing renewed interest throughout the world.
Due to the fragility of the works, their presentation will take place in two parts:
1st part: 12 November-19 December / 2nd part: 5 January-13 February