Orgie c. 1870 - 1880

This colour woodblock print, made by Kawanabe Kyōsai in Japan, depicts a boisterous orgy. Look closely, and you’ll notice an abundance of figures intertwined, caught in a moment of ecstatic abandon. The figures in the foreground are reminiscent of bacchanalian scenes from ancient Roman art. It’s as if Kyōsai is drawing upon a shared human impulse toward uninhibited celebration, echoing the Dionysian revelries that appear throughout art history. Consider the figure in the upper right. With his contorted expression and exaggerated gestures, he seems to embody a primal release, a letting go of inhibitions that transcends cultural boundaries. This scene is a reminder of how deeply ingrained these themes of pleasure and excess are in our collective memory, resurfacing in different forms across time and cultures. Like the ancient bacchanals, Kyōsai's orgy connects us to the raw, unfiltered aspects of human desire and the enduring power of these impulses.