De pleisterplaats Minakuchi 1835 - 1845

Utagawa Kunisada created this woodblock print titled ‘De pleisterplaats Minakuchi’ sometime before his death in 1865. Kunisada was a leading printmaker of ukiyo-e, a genre that often depicted scenes of everyday life, including the pleasure quarters. This print, with its intimate portrayal of sexual intimacy, offers a glimpse into the complexities of gender and sexuality in 19th-century Japan. During this period, Japan was undergoing significant social and political changes, with the decline of the Tokugawa shogunate and increasing Western influence. How might the artwork reflect shifting cultural values? The print also invites us to consider the role of women in Japanese society at the time. Were they simply objects of desire? What agency did women have? By examining the artwork through an intersectional lens, we can gain a deeper understanding of the interplay between gender, sexuality, and power. We see not just bodies, but individuals caught in a web of social expectations and personal desires.