Victoria Charles

Hans-Jürgen Döpp

Joe A. Thomas

Different eras and civilisations have treated erotic images with varying acceptance and different concepts of erotica and these tendencies are reflected within the works themselves. From ancient statues devoted to fertility to Renaissance engravings designed to encourage procreation within marriage, erotic art has always held an important place in society. Here, for the first time, 1,000 authentic images of erotic art have been brought together, spanning the centuries and civilisations to demonstrate the evolution of the genre. In an era such as ours when eroticism is abundant in advertising and the media, this book gives a refreshing insight into the background of erotic imagery, highlighting the artistic value of beautiful works of eroticism executed with skill.

1000 Erotic Works of Genius

Amsterdam rejoices in more than simply its famous canals and its celebrated collections of the works of Rembrandt, Vermeer and Van Gogh. It has a museum dedicated to the Goddess of Love, which welcomes no fewer than 500,000 visitors a year. From all over the world people come in their thousands to this unusual establishment known as “The Temple of Venus”. First put on display together in 1985 by Monique van Marle and her father, this collection of erotic works is exceptional for the quality of the objects exhibited, its engravings and its photographs of yesteryear. Far from being a focus for voyeuristic prurience, the Museum is intended to be understood as a serious centre for the history of erotic art. This book takes us on a guided tour of this fascinating place devoted to a fascinating subject.

The temple of venus

The “happy-few” aspect of the sadomasochistic relations, the fashions that have had a great impact on the population, make these practices seem somewhat commonplace. A number of magazines and films recount these sexual adventures with complete honesty. The enthusiasts are no longer exceptions. Beyond the stereotypes of women in leather boots with a whip in hand, they discover the pleasures of pain. It is a form of sexuality where pleasure looses its codification since procreation is no longer the goal. Travelling towards the limits of emotions is the theme explored by Professor Döpp, supporting his developments on an exceptional iconography.

Sadomasochism

Since humans first began thinking creatively – as opposed to merely procreatively – about sex, men and women have spiced up their love lives with this and that. Every civilization has come up with its own sex objects and sex toys. From rudimentarily-fashioned objects to the most exquisite ivory carvings of the Far East, eroticism has found expression in a multitude of different forms all displayed here. The beauty and the craftsmanship of these artistic masterpieces bear striking witness to the powers of generation in every culture throughout history. From works of art to sex toys, historian Hans-Jürgen Döpp analyses the complexities of human behaviour and the secret delights of those who own the little treasures featured in this book.

Objects of Desire - The Eroticism of Touch

The poetess Sappho did not, in any way, facilitate the relationship between men and women, with her admirable Ode to Aphrodite which celebrates the love and sexuality between two women. With the liberalization of morals, female homosexuality is part of modern society and cannot be ignored. But what does history retain from these practices? How is the love between women appreciated? By infringing on the rules of past societies, how did these women live their particularity and their forbidden sexuality? This difficult exercise, undertaken by Professor Döpp, attempts to explain these censured pleasures, without inclining towards a certain voyeurism.

Sapphic Art

There was in Ancient Greece a particular island, in shape of a triangle, just like the female mane, which symbolized the most contradictory fantasies: the "island of Lesbos." For some, this is the sanctuary of female homosexuality, for others, it is the first expression of freedom by Aeolian women. In the first case, it is often men who try to reject and condemn the notion of pleasure between two women. In the second case, often women, they demand the right to equality. The poetess Sappho did not in anyway facilitate the relationship between men and women, with her admirable Ode to Aphrodite which celebrates the love and sexuality between to women. With the liberalization of morals, female homosexuality is part of modern society's and cannot be ignored. But what does history retain from these practices? How is the love between women appreciated? By infringing on the rules of past societies, how did these women live their particularity and their forbidden sexuality?

Sappho's Repudiated Love

MUSIK und EROS

Von tausendjährigen, als Fruchtbarkeitssymbole verehrten Statuen bis hin zu den Odalisken der modernen Maler erotische Kunst hat immer eine bedeutende Rolle in der Gesellschaft gespielt, unabhängig davon, welche Vorstellung von Kultur oder Moral gerade herrschte. In diesem Werk sind eintausend Bilder erotischer Kunst aus allen Zeiten und von allen Kontinenten zusammengetragen, um darzustellen, wie die Abbildung dieser sinnlichen Freuden Zeugnis von der Entwicklung unterschiedlicher Zivilisationen und ihrer Geschichte ablegt. Während Erotik heutzutage in Werbung und Medien im Überfluss vorhanden ist, eröffnet dieses Buch einen außergewöhnlichen Blick in die Welt erotischer Bilder und hebt den künstlerischen Wert dieser großen Darstellungen der Sünde hervor.

Hans-Jürgen Döpp

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