Sotheby’s is presenting their first sale of Erotica, 16 February. Timed just a few days after Valentine’s day the sale offers a range of art and decorative objects, all with erotic overtones. Across the centuries, art has always been intrinsically linked to expressions of passion and sensuality. The Erotic: Passion & Desire sale in London encompasses representations of love and sex from antiquity to the present day.
“Art has always existed to tell a human story, and sex has always been a part of that story”
Featuring over 100 extraordinary works comprising 19th-century furniture, design, fine art, photography and contemporary sculpture, the sale explores themes from the beauty of desire to representations of the male nude to the carnal act itself.
The catalogue introduction has been written by Rowan Pelling, who first achieved note as the editor of the monthly literary erotic magazine, the Erotic Review, and has since written countless columns devoted to discussions around sex.
Speaking ahead of the auction, Constantine Frangos, Head of Sale, said: “Art has always existed to tell a human story, and sex has always been a part of that story – whether it is there to compel, to shock or to seduce. Indeed, Eroticism in art has appeared in whatever form art has taken, and our exhibition will take the viewer on a journey through the centuries.
“This sale creates a stage on which we are able to bring together a fascinating array of artworks and objects across many disciplines – charting a history whilst also presenting stunning works by artists as eclectic as Picasso, Man Ray, Ettore Sottsass and Marc Quinn.”
The exhibition opened at Sotheby’s New Bond Street Galleries on 11 February 2017 ahead of the auction on 16 February 2017.
Highlights from the Sale include varied works ranging from 19th-century furniture to fine art, photography and contemporary sculpture. The sale lots range in price from a couple of thousand for a nineteenth-century drawing to several hundred thousand for an original work by Egon Schiele.