Twilight and rebirth – sex and art at the turn of the twentieth century

22nd February 2021



Edward Munch, Vampir (Vampire), 1895   


Around the year 1900, and increasingly into the early years of the twentieth century, there was something of a sexual identity crisis in society generally and in art particularly.

Long-held assumptions about male dominance and virility and female… read more

Free and easy in Nice!

21st February 2021

The freely-drawn modernist art of Sylvain Vigny is today's new offering, with an inspirational Mediterranean take on la vie erotique. He demonstrates that you can produce great erotic art without taking immense care to ‘get it right’! See his work here.

A courageous and daring artist

20th February 2021

Today’s new artist, Erich Godal, was an important figure in both the artistic and political history of the twentieth century, both for his simple erotic art and his courage as a radical cartoonist. See his work here and learn all about him.

Encounter in the park

19th February 2021

When the Hungarian-born artist Marcel Vertès died in 1961, Alex Székely created this testimonial to his long-time friend and fellow-traveller in the byways of erotic art – and he drew it in Vertès’ own pared-down style. A simple story simply told: see it here. Enjoy!

A wonderfully erotic Tarot pack

18th February 2021

It’s a pity that the only erotic portfolio produced by the Italian illustrator Giacinto Gaudenzi is his 2006 Decameron Tarot, a masterpiece of miniature artistry and well worth close study, as are his thoughts on the skills required to be an illustrator – see his amazing work here.

Elektrowärme-Speicherheizkessel? Ja!

17th February 2021

An intriguing new artist today, highly original erotic artist and designer of the prizewinning Buderus Elektrowärme-Speicherheizkessel – Rolfdieter Schiedrum. See the best collection of his work on the web here, and see if it inspires you!

1920s angst and pleasure

11th February 2021

Today’s new artist is the Hungarian/Austrian (and a dash of French) painter and engraver Rezső Merényi, the author of three rare erotic portfolios, which we now have the pleasure of sharing in their entirety. See them here, and enjoy!

So what’s that dangly bit actually for?

10th February 2021

It seems that German artists after WW1 were having a bit of a sexual identity crisis; if women were gaining power, what did that mean for phallic privilege? The anonymous Pipifax (German for a piddling trifle) had a few rather grotesque ideas – you can see them here.

The best of French spooning

9th February 2021

Do you know the difference between bon couché and con bouché? If you love spoonerisms (and who doesn’t?) you'll appreciate Léon Courbouleix’s Lapsus Linguae (slips of the tongue to you and us) – explore and enjoy this new portfolio here.

 

 

Up-market debauchery

8th February 2021

We know very little about the Belgian illustrator Georges Drains, but in 1921 he produced the most exquisite artwork for the Marquis de Sade’s Venice Brothel. New on the site, see the whole portfolio and more here. Enjoy!