Although the shunga production was on the wane since the Meiji period (1868-1912) there was still a small market for it and were still issued until the Taisho period (1912-1926). The painting below is a lovely late example including additional “effects”…
‘Intimate couple during a hor summer day‘ (c.1910/20) by an unknown Taisho era artist
Electric Fan
During a hot summer day a mature couple is enjoying themselves with one another intimately and sexually. They explore each other’s genitals while an electric fan (a striking and appealing detail!) blows in the background.
The artist has a distinctive style in which he gave the protagonists a more Rubenesque shape.
Expensive Washi Paper
The scene has been painted on Japanese gampi washi paper. This is a more expensive, thin, smooth, semi-transparent, strong kind of Japanese washi paper. At first glance it looks like a woodblock but is a painting.
Only the hair of the protagonists in the images are printed (clearly visible!) with beautiful embossing (black burnishing/ glossy black). Very fresh colors with beautiful white highlights, to some extent the colors of the painting shine through the backside.
The below part of the red signature includes an amusing symbolic reference to sexual intercourse (the two shapes fit into each other):
Click HERE for more Taisho period art from the same artist!
