Two lovers: a wakashu and a young woman kiss

Harunobu, Suzuki. Two lovers: a wakashu and a young woman kiss. 1768-1770. 7-colour woodblock prints on paper. 18.5 cm. x 25.7 cm. Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto. https://collections.rom.on.ca/objects/318585/two-lovers-a-wakashu-and-a-young-woman-kiss?ctx=603cb6e8-84ad-4aad-9ad2-86d6adfdc5f8&idx=3, accessed 13, March 2022.

This print is of a wakashu (on the right) kissing a young woman (on the left) who is playing a koto, a Japanese string musical instrument. There is a dog next to the couple looking at the viewer. Behind them is a painting done in a Chinese literati style and a maple tree outside the window that has changed colors signifying that it might be autumn. Above them there is a cloud, signifying this idea of the floating world. In the print, it can be seen that the wakashu is playing a more active role with women, trying to take off her obi and actively trying to seduce her while she plays her instrument.