Detail:
In 17th-century Japan, the essence of escape was the “floating world,” a phrase that referred to both the pleasure quarters in major cities and a pleasure-seeking way of life. The most famous of these pleasure quarters was the Yoshiwara—a walled and moated district in Edo (present-day Tokyo) where one could abandon the rigors of daily life in pursuit of sensual delights.
Like Vegas today, the Yoshiwara was an escapist destination that traded in sex, excess and fantasy, and its reputation as such—spread by the stories and artworks it inspired—was critical to its economic success and hold on the popular imagination.
Dive into this hotbed of hedonism and transgression through more than 70 works of art, including paintings, woodblock prints, kimonos and an almost 58-foot-long handscroll that portrays a visit to the Yoshiwara, including decadent food, drink, dancing and sex. These artworks once afforded vicarious pleasure to the many who could not access the Yoshiwara directly. Seduction offers you that same vicarious pleasure, and the opportunity to explore the intersection of art and desire.
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