The musée Guimet invites us to discover its rich collection of prints through its exhibition ‘Mirror of desire’ which focuses on the contrasting picture of woman in Japanese prints. By focusing on works signed by Suzuki Harunobu, Kitagawa Utamaro, Hosoda Eiri or Katsuchika Hokusai, we discover the world of courtesans but also the evocation of the pleasure quarter of Edo or the pornographic prints—the shunga—dating back from the 18th and 19th centuries. But the retrospective doesn’t stop to this single erotic image, unveiling the privacy of these women who—away from men—have a boat ride or a walk under the flowering trees or prepare for bath or to sleep. Among the displayed works, the public will have the opportunity to admire the famous tryptich by Utamaro named ‘Abalone fisherwomen’ (around 1797). This event is to discover until October 10th, 2016, a few minutes walking from the Green Hotels Paris, the Eiffel Trocadéro and the Gavarni.

Exhibition ‘Mirror of desire – Images of Women in Japanese Prints’, from July 6th to October 10th, 2016.
Open every day except on Tuesday from 10am to 6pm.
Full rate: €9.50 / Reduced rate (18-25): €7 / Free under 18.

Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806)
Hairdresser, from the series 12 Types of Women’s Handicraft
Edo period, 1798-99.
Polychromatic print, 15.8”x10.28”.
Paris, musée national des arts asiatiques – Guimet, legs Isaac de Camondo, 1912.
© RMN-Grand Palais (musée Guimet, Paris) / Droits réservés

Musée national des Arts asiatiques – Musée Guimet
6, place d'Iéna
75016 Paris
France
Tel.: +33 (0)1 56 52 53 00
Metro: Iéna (line 9) or Pont de l’Alma (RER C).

• 
•