Et Eros (About Love) was published anonymously, with a Latin title and French text to mislead the censors, but has always been known to be by Dier. The eight oval heliograph engravings show finely executed, explicitly erotic scenes, all related to mythology, thus following the long tradition of sex being acceptable as long as it was given a graceful and bucolic historic garb.

The plates of Et Eros hark back to an earlier time, that of Eugène Lepoittevin and Franz von Bayros, but they also have a freshness and simplicity of composition which owes something to Jugendstil. And they are quite explicit, freely including erections and insertions, making for a rare combination of technique and content.

The titles of the plates are:
   1   Jugement de Paris (Judgement of Paris)
   2   Le berger ( The Shepherd)
   3   Jeu de Faun (Faun at Play)
   4   Jupiter le père des dieux (Jupiter, Father of the Gods)
   5   Narcisse (Narcissus)
   6   Toilette de Venus (The Toilette of Venus)
   7   Le Tannhäuser (Tannhäuser)
   8   Parsival (Parsifal)

Et Eros was privately published in an edition of 250 numbered copies, clarifying that ‘Cette edition privée n’est pas destinée a la vente publique’ (This private edition is not intended for public sale).

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.