Den Moderna Kvinnan (The Modern Woman) is a quite remarkable portfolio of drawings, made as it was a whole century ago. The fourteen beautifully drawn and coloured young women in this portfolio display their bodies in all their naked glory, an early example of what the rest of the world, whether justified or not, came later in the century to see as typical Swedish openness in matters sexual.

During the 1920s Proessdorf was a close friend of the author and educator Jeanna Oterdahl (1879–1965), and though neither ever married it may well be that they enjoyed an intimacy which is perhaps reflected in these drawings.

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.