Bedroom Scene 1729 - 1749

Okumura Masanobu made this woodblock print titled "Bedroom Scene" sometime between 1686 and 1764. During the Edo period, when Masanobu was working, *shunga* prints like this one served as both art and commodity. The print depicts a man and two women engaged in an intimate act, a subject made all the more intriguing by the context of its creation. During this period, societal norms and expectations regarding gender and sexuality were quite rigid, yet *shunga* prints offered a space where these norms could be explored, and perhaps even subverted. These prints were not merely erotic images; they were also cultural artifacts that reflected the complex interplay between desire, pleasure, and societal constraints. Masanobu’s print invites us to consider the ways in which sexuality has been both celebrated and regulated throughout history. It also asks us to reflect on the emotional and personal dimensions of human connection.