Shunga album. Prentenboek over gewillige vrouwen 1798

This 'Shunga album. Prentenboek over gewillige vrouwen' was created by Kitagawa Utamaro around the late 18th century. The series of small, bound books strikes you with its muted palette of grays and creams, textures hinting at age and use. The composition is deceptively simple: three rectangular volumes, each bearing Japanese calligraphy against a mottled ground. Yet, it is within this formal restraint that Utamaro begins to destabilize established meanings. The very nature of Shunga art challenges the rigid social structures of its time by exploring themes of intimacy and pleasure. These books, through their intimate scale and tactile materiality, invite a questioning of cultural norms. They are not merely aesthetic objects, but rather function as sites of discourse, challenging the viewer to consider the complexities of desire and representation.