Night of Longing

Not to be outdone by The British Museum's Shunga exhibition, the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge is staging its own exhibition of Japanese erotica. The night of longing: Love and desire in Japanese prints displays 40 woodcuts and books of the Edo and Meiji periods, circa 1600 to 1900. It includes works by Harunobu, Utamaro, Hokusai, Hiroshige, Kunisada, Kuniyoshi and Yoshitoshi. The prints range from chaste pictures of longing - someone writing a love letter or poem - to complete intimacy. Yet again there is parental guidance advised, but admission to this exhibition is free. The beautiful moonlit scene shows a tryst between lovers hiding their intimacy behind military shields! The exhibition opened today (CLICK).