After the angst of Moloch, Unter dem Feigenblatt (Under the Figleaf) feels much more rooted in the everyday experience of sex, here seen through the eyes of a woman. If we had to guess we might suggest it is a particular woman well-known by Merényi, since some of the subjects sound like first-hand experience. Most have captions in German, including ‘What’s it worth, then?’ and ‘I can’t imagine what that means’.

Merényi’s observation and engraving skills are well-displayed in this glimpse into 1920s sexual concerns, not so very different from those of a century later.

We are very grateful to Hans-Jürgen Döpp for these images; Hans-Jürgen, the compiler of many books on erotic art, curates the Venusberg online gallery and bookshop which you can find here.