BENTLEY (Richard) — EROTICISM IN WESTERN ART - Lot 31

BENTLEY (Richard) — EROTICISM IN WESTERN ART BENTLEY (Richard). Eroticism in Western Art. Paris, Éditions du Chêne, 1985. Large quarto (approx. 29 × 24 cm), 176 pp., publisher’s hardcover with a color-illustrated dust jacket. Numerous black-and-white and color reproductions, both in the text and as inserts. ISBN 2-85108-370-8. This is the 1985 French edition. A major iconographic study devoted to the representation of eroticism and sexuality in Western art, from ancient times through modern art. The author covers painting and sculpture as well as drawing, printmaking, and erotic illustration. The book reproduces, in particular, works and documents related to the great masters of Western art, as well as more specifically erotic iconography: antique engravings, clandestine or libertine illustrations, caricatures, and drawings, including works by Thomas Rowlandson and illustrations from Aretino’s *Lustful Sonnets*. Together, these materials constitute a rich body of documentation on the evolution of representations of desire and the body throughout art history. Condition: generally good. The book block and interior appear clean and well-preserved. Dust jacket present but quite worn, with scuffing, soiling, small tears, and missing material at the corners and edges, particularly in the upper right corner of the front cover. A few marks on the back cover.