Die Bonbonnière (The Candy Box) was a collaboration between von Bayros, the poet and playwright Franz Biel (1871–1942), and the Vienna publisher Carl Stern. Published in two portfolios of six prints each, the Bayros etchings were accompanied by short poems and texts by Biel, here under the pseudonym Amadée de la Houlette – a man of many noms de plume, Biel also went by the soubriquets of Medardus, Dr Peregrinus Steinhövel, Franciscus Amadeus, Gussie Mc-Bill, Prokop Templin, Heliogabal, Nikodemus Schuster, and Hans Adolar.

The themes of Die Bonbonnière are darker and more enigmatic than much of von Bayros’s work, and include an unlikely rhinoceros and a couple of black lovers.

The titles of the prints are:
     Introduction
     Kinder (Children)
     Ringwerfen (Quoits)
     Der Dienst (Service)
     Rissa
     Judith
     Die Klavierlehrerin (The Piano Teacher)
     Der Besuch (The Visit)
     Die Fliege (The Fly)
     Die Nashornjägerin (The Rhino Hunter)
     Schlangenzauber (Snake Magic)
     Nun sprich! (Now Speak!)

Die Bonbonnière was published by C W Stern in a limited numbered edition of 530 copies.

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.