Romantique [German]

Erotic lithographs from France form the content of a spectacular, large, and well-produced book _Romantique: Erotic Art of the Early Nineteenth Century_ (Elephant & Mouse Editions). The selections here come from Hans-Jurgen Döpp, who is apparently a famed collector of such things: "His important collection of erotic art has been built up over many years by drawing upon sources in various European countries." As in most such collections of erotic art, here are introductory chapters to put the art into context and explain its importance, and as such essays go, the ones included here are just fine. But the "reader" always wonders if the words are just there as justification for the shameful pleasures indulged in by the "viewer."The charm of the pictures in this book (and they are charming) is that they were made to appeal to the bourgeoisie who would be buying them by depicting just their sort of people in familiar settings. There are some rather silly historical pictures here; in one a knight in a suit of armor (well, not the entire suit, just the coat without the pants, so as not to impede the nether regions) raises his glass while fondling his girlie as she fondles him. For the most part, however, these are contemporaries, showing off the best style of their times. They are dressed in clothes that are similar to those more familiarly shown in period fashion books. Oh, they do remain dressed, most of them. The women lower their blouses to show fashionably small breasts and button aureoles, or raise their dresses just so to show what we would now regard as buns of less than steel. The men may have their trousers off or down, but generally their priapic displays of eagerness are available for the delight of the ladies involved by means of unbuttoned but undoffed breeches. Everything is pretty in these rather romantic pictures, which are divided into sections for soloists, duets, trios, quartets, and "the noble orgy." This is a delightful book of pretty pictures. Anyone who likes looking at erotic couplings will enjoy it, and those who need a "proper" reason to do so can always claim they are looking at history, and their enjoyment will be undimmed.