Yet another mystery artist – there is no evidence anywhere that there ever was such a person as Paul Dandin painting explicit erotic images in the late 1930s and early 40s, but the images tell their own story. Several portfolios of prints of the signed paintings exist, though the originals appear to have disappeared without trace.

So was there an artist named Dandin, not a common French name? It occurs mostly in the Indian Ocean island département of Réunion, where it is thought to be related to the French verb ‘se dandiner’, to waddle like a duck. Or is it a pseudonym, possibly for a Czech artist, since most of the prints signed ‘Dandin’ seem to surface in the auction houses and print shops of Prague, and the only known portfolio folder has a Czech title?

If you can offer any clues about the enigmatic Paul Dandin, do please let us know.