This scene displaying a tragic gay encounter comes from Utamaro‘s series (Michiyuki) koi no futozao (1802). The work is based on dramatized tales (based on true stories) of ‘fated lovers’ who commit double ‘love’ suicide.
The stories developed into a line of dramas for the theatre called shinju mono (double-suicide plays).
Fig.1. ‘Gay encounter between Hisamatsu and the father of Osome‘ (c.1802) from the series ‘(Michiyuki) koi no futozao (On the Road: Love Songs for the Thick-necked Shamisen)’ by Kitagawa Utamaro
Anal Penetration
An older man moistens his fingers with obvious intent while a young man bends over to allow anal penetration. The protagonsists are Hisamatsu and possibly the father of Osome. She is the young woman peering through the shop curtain (noren) on the left. The curtain is inscribed with the names of the two lovers.
Love Suicide
The tale of Osome, the daughter of a prosperous pawnshop-owner and the working-class clerk Hisamatsu was dramatized as a love suicide in Bunraku and Kabuki theatre in a genre known as Osome Hisamatsu mono (Osome and Hisamatsu plays).
There’s also a later colored edition of this series (Fig.2). The image above is from the first black-and white edition.
Fig.2. Colored version (Source: ‘Сюнга. Откровенное искусство Японии / Shunga. Explicit art of Japan’, 2016. Authors: A. E. Pushakova, K. G. Danelya)
Click HERE for another fated love story designed by Utamaro!
