Discover Japanese art like no other. Originally created by the artists of the ukiyo-e ‘school of the floating world’ to advertise brothels in 17th-century Yoshiwara, these popular ‘spring pictures’ (shunga) transcended class and gender in Japan for almost 300 years. These tender, humorous and brightly coloured pieces celebrate sexual pleasure in all its forms, culminating in the beautiful, yet graphic, work of iconic artists Utamaro, Hokusai and Kunisada. This catalogue aims to answer some key questions about what shunga is and why was it produced.