Kyōsai - The Israel Goldman Collection

Kawanabe Kyōsai, the nineteenth century Japanese painter, has a unique and humorous painting style. The subjects of his paintings were perceived by to be so controversial that they landed him in prison. These included sex, nudity, and creatures which represented political leaders.

SEX & HUMOUR

Shocking, humorous, and often graphic images of nudity are depicted in his painting. One includes a naked man with his bottom raised to release a gigantic fart that sends woman shooting up into the air. Another shows a couple engaging in intercourse while a cat scratches the testicles of the man.

THE ELITE

Extremely long noses on a group of scholars, reveals Kyosai’s disdain for intellectuals who are proud of their art collection and connoisseurship. The long noses, “tengu”, represent semi-human supernatural beings with long noses, who “stick their noses in the air”.

FROGS

Frogs and frog battles feature heavily in his work, functioning as symbol of political tensions during the Satsuma Rebellion.