Shunga:sex and pleasure in Japonese Art

El Museo Británico acogerá, a partir del 4 de octubre, una exposición temporal que vale la pena no perderse. Se trata de "Shunga: sex and pleasure in Japonese Art. Si no pueden acercarse a Londres les sugiero una visita  al portal oficial del museo. Y que conste que si he incluido aquí sólo unos cándidos besitos es por culpa de Google, que admite mucha basura, propaga pornografía comercial y profundo mal gusto en todas las formas posible, pero a quien escandaliza el erotismo.

Produced from 1600 to 1900 and banned in Japan for much of the 20th century, these explicit and beautifully detailed erotic paintings, prints and books inspired Toulouse-Lautrec, Beardsley, Rodin and Picasso.

Mostly created by the artists of the ukiyo-e or ‘floating world’ school, these popular works were known as shunga, - literally  ‘spring pictures’. They appealed to all classes in Japan for almost 300 years, and to men and women alike. Frequently tender and humorous, they celebrate sexual pleasure in all its forms in brilliantly coloured paintings and prints, culminating with beautiful and explicit works by iconic artists Utamaro, Hokusai and Kunisada.

Within Japan, shunga has continued to influence modern forms of art, including manga, anime and Japanese tattoo art. The exhibition sheds new light on this unique art form within Japanese social and cultural history.

Torii Kiyonaga (1752–1815), detail taken from Sode no maki (Handscroll for the Sleeve), c. 1785.