Japanese Erotic Fantasies: Sexual Imagery of the Edo Period

This is the first comprehensive study on Japanese erotic print art (known as "shunga"). It illustrates a wide selection of the best works from mainly private collections in Europe and the USA. The publication shows highlights from the oeuvre of Kitagawa Utamaro, Katsushika Hokusai, Suzuki Harunobu, Utagawa Kunisada, Utagawa Kuniyoshi and many others. The book outlines the artistic developments from the early period to the end of the 19th century when Western themes began to appear in Japanese erotic art. Various essays by international experts describe this fascinating genre, placing it in its social, historical and artistic contexts, and discussing themes such as homosexuality, voyeurism, life in Edo’s brothels, and techniques of composition.