While I was searching the web for vampire pictures, I came across the artist William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905), who definitely qualifies as being a Kinky Victorian, despite being French. The "vampire" picture at top is actually an illustration of a passage in Dante's Inferno (can't think which bit off the top of my head ... Eloise?), and very much in the style of Dore. That's Dante and Virgil looking on *ahem* disapprovingly in the background.
Bouguereau had an interesting range of subject matter for his paintings. He did a lot of yucky sentimental pictures of cute kids, which you can go find for yourself if you are interested. He did a lot of soft porn masquerading as classical/fantasy/allegorical pictures of nymphs etc:
He did some, um, Catholic porn. I sent this picture below to Billierosie because she was posting a number of articles about bondage art. She retaliated by leading me into reading about Structuralism, the rotter. ;-)
And sometime Bouguereau just did straight soft porn. I mean "nude studies". It sounds so much more respectable when you call it that, doesn't it? I'm not knocking him, though - he used his influence to open up important French art institutions like the Academie Francais to female painters, so good on him.
7 comments:
"Catholic porn"! I love it.
Great paintings. I mean, look at the lighting in "Flagellation". Amazing.
It's a beautiful picture ... if you, er, like that sort of thing. Bouguereau certainly could paint.
As a kinky-minded ex-Christian atheist my reactions are mixed, to say the least. I can see why people would find it inspiring - and repulsively sadistic - and hilariously pervy: all at the same time!
From one kinky-minded ex-Christian atheist to another, I know exactly what you mean.
heh, guys.
Educational, Janine!
That's a good thing, right Jo?
But of course. How could it not be?
Some people I've met don't see learning new stuff as a good thing.
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