Faces of Ecstasy

Ecstasy can derive from many sources, and Döpp starts with an interesting variety of them. Within the first few pages, he offers the mystical ecstasy of The Virgin, in Christian mythology. He also presents Lilith and the serpent, in an 1887 painting with many overtones - some innocently sensual, and some anything but innocent. Döpp never addresses the captivation of fine dining or the crystalline focus of high-risk sport, ecstasies that can be experienced together but never really shared. He continues with the religious theme briefly, in the ecstasy of prayer or martyrdom. That quickly turns towards the carnal misdeeds of medieval clerics, and never turns back. With exceptions, the rest of the book presents two-page spreads of art and text. The paintings, prints, and photos often present the culminating moment, not in terms of the reproductive hardware, but in the face of the participant - female, more often than not. Although Döpp adds a few quotations from sexual experts, ancient and modern, the bulk of the text is his own. I must admit, I found it bland. The artwork, however, offers many styles of expression and many experiences in need of expression. They range from the classic in style, as in Moulin's colored daguerrotype (I didn't know they could be colored!), to genuine classics from the golden ages of Rome and Greece. Two pieces, on pp. 21 and 25 struck me especially. The two couldn't be more different in mood: one, a voluptous dance to an unseen audience, the other a moment seemingly alone and at rest. At the same time, they couldn't be more alike in the tilt of the model's head, the curve of her neck, and her distant gaze. Non-Western art creates a contrast worth mention. Western models show the whole of their experience in the expressions of their faces. Artwork from Japan, India, and China show great reserve in facial expressions, even as the scenes display remarkable intensity in the participants' bodies. I'm sure that sexual ecstasy, in its whole range of forms, goes back to the origin of humankind and before. The way in which it may be expressed differs from culture to culture, which leads the viewer to wonder about the differences in intellectual and emotional experience given the basic commonality of the animal experience. The artworks cover an enjoyable range, and the printing quality offers very good reproductions of imagery about reproduction. There's not a lot of it, though, and the text never rises to the level of the visual renderings. Although pleasant, I could never call this an important book. -- wiredweird