The German artist Klaus Böttger is best known for his intricate erotic etchings, lithographs and illustrations which blend elements of pop art and fantastic realism. Born in Dresden, Böttger and his family moved to Wiesbaden via Berlin and Aachen. There he graduated from high school in 1963, then studied art history, art education, philosophy and biology at the Hochschulinstitut in nearby Mainz until 1969. 

Böttger started printmaking in 1964, initially focusing on themes like the Vietnam War. Over time his style evolved, leading to a focus on finely detailed portraits, erotic scenes and landscapes. He often created thematic series, such as Weltsprache Musik, featuring the portraits of fourteen composers. 

Between 1977 and 1991 Böttger was active as a book illustrator, contributing to works by authors including Ambrose Bierce, Alexandre Dumas, Umberto Eco, Giovanni Boccaccio, Leonard Woolf, and Mary Higgins Clark. Notably, he designed the dustjacket for the Büchergilde edition of Umberto Eco’s Der Name der Rose (The Name of the Rose).

Böttger’s art is characterised by meticulous craftsmanship and a distinctive blend of realism and imaginative elements. Two collections of his work, Erotische Zeichnungen (Erotic Drawings) in 1982, and the posthumous Eros & Thanatos in 1999, brought his work to a wide audience.