Katsushika Hokusai - The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife

One of the most recognizable Japanese paintings is The Dream of the

Fisherman's Wife. It was executed in 1814 by famous artist Hokusai. If
we follow strict definitions, this amazing Hokusai’s piece could not be
considered as a painting, since it’s a woodcut design of the ukiyo-e genre
from the book Kinoe no Komatsu, which is a three-volume book of
shunga erotica. The composition depicts a young ama diver entwined
sexually with a pair of octopuses. This Japanese painting was quite
influential in the 19th and 20th Century. The work has influenced later
artists such as Félicien Rops, Auguste Rodin, Louis Aucoc, Fernand
Khnopff, and Pablo Picasso.

Hokusai’s Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife is perhaps the most iconic

work of shunga, or erotic imagery, from the floating world. The ama, or
female diver, arches her neck, pleasured by a pair of octopuses. The
smaller of the pair attends to her mouth, while the larger nestles
between her legs, his tentacles enveloping her pale form. As her hands
grasp the tentacles, the tale of their mutual enjoyment fills the
background. It has been suggested that this design may have been
inspired by the legend of Princess Tamatori–a shell diver who heroically
retrieved a valuable pearl from a water dragon’s underwater palace. The
impact of this Edo period image has reverberated across the centuries.