Flavio Febbraro

The title of this book doesn’t do it justice. It truly is art appreciation at its best. Chronologically organized from ancient to modern, each pair of pages present a piece of art with its full view, an overview explanation, cropped portions and associated details, and the relevance of the then local history, related myth, and/or religious background, etc. It is highly educational, obviously entertaining for the subject matter (even though there are several pieces I wish I can un-see), adding depth to the surface comprehension typically garnered while meandering through an art museum.

It truly is amazing to see how art showcases the evolution of the people’s thoughts over time. From the show-all-privates of Ancient Greece, homo-erotic of the Warren Cup, to the what-prostitution-in-Paris-do-you-mean during Manet’s era, art (and its backstory) will ultimately map the sociology of the era. Febbraro did a fabulous job selecting the pieces AND told the stories well. While the art demonstrated the beauty of the human form, the artistry and skills of the artist, one repeated theme that remains to be troubling is the exploitation of women and children – through violence and prostitution. My enjoyment is somewhat tempered by the reality of life. Regardless, I highly recommend this book as my rating suggests.

One quote on Love:
- Cupid Complaining to Venus, Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1525 – “Cupid, who is grumpy because of the bee stings, complains to his mother and asks her why such small insects produce so much pain. Smiling, Venus replies that he too is small, but causes very severe wounds.”

Some pieces I loved:
- Venus de Milo, 100 BC – The back side is even more sensuous than the front!
- A Yakshini, 2nd Century BC – Sexy and provocative yet in a modern way
- Sleeping Hermaphrodite, 2nd Century – I remember my own surprise at seeing this in person
- The Birth of Venus, Sandro Botticelli, 1485 – This giant wall size art is so lovely that I have the statue of Venus
- Portrait of a Young Woman (La Fornarina), Raphael, 1520 – Luminous glow to her, simply captivating
- The Toilet of Venus (The ‘Rokeby’ Venus), Diego Velazquez, 1647-1651 – That wonderful, curved, beautiful back
- St. Teresa in Ecstasy, Bernini, 1647-1652 – Rodin may be expressive, but it is Bernini who brings life out of stone
- Cupid and Psyche, Antonio Canova, 1787-1793 – Lovely, gentle, sweet, choreographic embrace
- Olympia, Edouard Manet, 1863 – Her look, a confident expression
- The Eternal Idol, Auguste Rodin, 1889 – His admiration of her and her acceptance of him is lovingly mutual
- The Waltz, Camille Claudel, 1889-1893 – Sensual, and the bottom half is expressive as a dress or a tree
- Madonna, Edvard Munch, 1894-1895 – The colors, the halo like feeling that frames her
- The Kiss, Gustav Klimt, 1907-1908 – I was not a fan when I first saw it thinking she looked to be controlled but have since found it to be a dream-like state
- Red Nude, Modigliani, 1917 – Her figure and body shape, the way she lays is inviting

A few that I did not need to see/know:
- The Burney Relief, 2000-1850 BC – Lilith was the “woman” (demon) that was created before Eve when Adam grew tired of copulating with animals… Uh, say what??
- An Adult and a Youth Preparing for Sexual Relations, 5th C BC – Title says it all.
- Aristotle and Phyllis, 1440 – Aristotle let Phyllis ride him like a horse to have sex with her. Oh, Aristotle…
- Lot and His Daughters, Albrecht Altodorfer, 1537 – Eww
- The Orgy, William Hogarth, 1734 – Syphilis black marks are drawn on the prostitutes!
- La Toilette intime, Boucher, 1742 – Voyeurism art, seriously?
- The Slave Market, Jean-Leon Gerome, 1856 – Appalling, with the naked girl in the process of being sold. “…under the pretext of barbaric Oriental customs, illustrates a strong scene of submission and violence towards a humiliated woman… sadistic taste of the period, to the dream of deriving enjoyment from physical and psychological violence…”
- Interior (also known as The Rape), Edgar Degas, 1868-1869 – From the hands that also drew ballerinas. Argh.
- Untitled (Nudes), George Grosz, 1919 – Murder, butchering, must delete from brain
- The Guitar Lesson, Balthus, 1934 – This is even more disturbing than murder and butchering…… (lisätietoja)

A stunning collection of cross-cultural erotic art from 25,000 B.C. to 1996 A.D., beautifully displayed, and with insightful commentary from Febbraro. In addition to pointing out aspects of the art that may escape the eye, he explains the references to mythology, literature, history, cultural mores, and what constituted ‘beauty’ at the time. It’s a book where you never know what’s going to come on the next page, and it’s a joy to both see the art and to read the text, making it hard to put down.

Interesting patterns emerge in this slice of the human condition. On one hand, three are the most beautiful of things from our higher natures - the adoration of the human form, the simple joy of pleasure, and artistry that both confronts and challenges us. On the other hand, there is also a pattern of violence against women and children throughout the ages in sexual objectification, slavery, and prostitution.

It’s a book that from page to page can make you feel a kaleidoscope of emotions, ranging from spiritually uplifted to turned on, better informed, or simply disturbed. And I think this is what great art should do, provoke a reaction.

Some examples…

Sublime:
Young Woman Dancing, mid-3rd millennium BC India
The Farnese Antinuous, 2nd century Italy
Stauette of a Chosen Woman, 1430-1512 Peru
Portrait of a Young Woman (La Fornarina), Raphael, 1520
St. Teresa in Ecstasy, Bernini, 1647-1652
Madonna, Edvard Munch, 1894-1895

Romantic:
Vajrasattva and Visvatara (a yabyum), 18th century India
Cupid and Pysche, Canova, 1787-1793
The Waltz, Camille Claudel, 1889-1893
The Kiss, Gustav Klimt, 1907-1908

Disturbing:
An Adult and a Youth Preparing for Sexual Relations, 5th century BC Greece
La Toilette intime, Boucher, 1742
Untitled (Nudes), Grosz, 1919
The Guitar Lesson, Balthus, 1934

Sexy:
Yakshini, 2nd century India
Devadasi, c. 950 India
The Toilet of Venus (The ‘Rokeby’ Venus), Velazquez, 1647-1651
Reclining Girl, Boucher, 1752
Red Nude, Modigliani, 1917

Over-the-top:
Orgy Scene, the Pedieus Painter, 510-510 B.C.
Temple sculpture at Khandariya Mahadeva, early 11th century India
Zeus Seducing Olympias, Giulio Romano, 1526-1528
Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife, Hokusai, 1814

Profane:
The Temptation of St. Anthony, Felicien Rops, 1878

… And what I love is that everyone’s examples and categorizations will be completely different. Based on the content, probably not a book for the coffee table, but highly recommended.… (lisätietoja)