Art Review: Shunga: sex and pleasure in Japanese art
British Museum, London
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.What is it? Works of a sexually explicit, unabashedly joyous nature, made by respected Japanese artists from 1600 to 1900.
The Independent says: “Can hardcore pornography ever be considered art? Not in the West ... [but] In Asia, it’s been a quite different matter … in Japan, [a] genre of explicit depictions of sexual congress termed Shunga flourished first in painted scrolls then in woodblock reproduction … other countries may have produced as explicit an imagery, but none on this scale or at this level of artistic refinement ... it’s time to give Shunga its due.”
They say: Daily Mail: “Shunga is far from crude modern depictions of sex. Most of the images, although explicit, are loving – even tender – and show the pleasure being shared out between men and women in equal measure.”
Huffington Post: “Katsushika Hokusai … famously depicted a titillating love scene between a few octupi and a satisfied-looking human being. The masterpiece swiftly and simultaneously brought full frontal nudity, bestiality, and female orgasm to the forefront of fine art.”
You say: @LucyTheobald: “Really interesting to see attitudes to sex in pre westernised Japan.”
Details: to 5 Jan; britishmuseum.org
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments