Hokusai. Shunga

The erotica of Katsushika Hokusai, Japan's most famous artist, known as shunga or "spring imagery," combines brash sensuality with playful humor to depict sensuality in a wide variety of constellations. Taschen's coffee-table book 'Hokusai. Shunga' presents his own contribution to a genre that escaped government censorship and flourished in the vibrant urban culture of Japan's Edo era.

If you think you know Hokusai (1760-1849), think again. Long before The Great Wave, the great master turned his attention (and eye) to something much more intimate. From maids and wives to courtesans, mistresses and curious onlookers - and, yes, even a notorious pair of frisky octopuses - Hokusai's shunga (literally "spring images") are bold, joyous and often hilarious.

This comprehensive art book contains eight complete books and print sets from 1786-1823, with many of the accompanying stories written by the artist himself. Combining image and word, the pages are full of exaggerated anatomy, mischievous voyeurism, tender exchanges and a surprisingly egalitarian attitude toward pleasure for both sexes.

Unlike the prudishness of 18th-century Europe, Japan of the Edo period (1603-1868) accepted sexuality as a natural part of life. Although shunga was officially banned, it was tolerated in practice and many renowned artists managed to circumvent government censorship to devote themselves to the genre with fervor, albeit under pseudonyms. These works were meant to entertain, excite and were even used for good luck - samurai wore them as talismans when they went to war. Technical innovations in printing during Hokusai's lifetime enabled rich colors and beautifully rendered textiles, but the content remained delightfully human: full of risky rendezvous, stolen moments and scenes of marital (or extramarital) happiness.

Specifications
Title: Hokusai. Shunga
Author: Andreas Marks
Publisher: Taschen
Size: 323 x 262 x 62 mm
Size: 480 pages
Weight: 3347 grams
Language: English, German, French
Material: Hardcover
ISBN: 9783836596282

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