A major auction of erotic art at Sotheby's. Photos

Scheduled to take place today, February 15, at Sotheby’s is the second edition of Erotic : Passion & Desire, the major auction of erotic art that is being replicated in 2018 given the great success of last year, which netted the British house more than five million pounds. This year, pin-up Dita von Teese, the greatest performer of the burlesque genre, has been called upon to present some of the lots that will go on sale.

Ninety works will be offered for sale, with a total estimate of about 3.8 million pounds. These are works that actually cover the entire history of art reaching up to the present day. From works of art from classical antiquity to photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe, Helmut Newton and Chris Levine, Sotheby’s offers a journey through erotic art from all centuries. Highlights include a Blue Venus</em<> by Yves Klein, a stunning Frine by Francesco Barzaghi estimated at between £400,000 and £600,000 (the highest estimate of those in the auction), drawings by Gustav Klimt, a neon sign by Tracey Emin, erotic drawings by Pablo Picasso, a nude by Henri Matisse. Also, a Venus and Adonis by Jacopo Amigoni (estimated between £300,000 and £500,000), photographs by Andy Warhol, a group of works by Terry Rodgers, a rare cover of Playboy issue No. 1 (from 1953, estimated between £3,000 and £5,000), photographs by Nobuyoshi Araki, works by Georg Grosz. The following is a photographic selection:

Robert Mapplethorpe, Phillip Prioleau (From Portfolio Z) (1980; selenium print, 19.1 x 19.1 cm)

Henri Matisse, Nu (1928; pencil on paper, 32.6 x 50.6 cm)

Chris Levine, She’s Light (Laser 3) (2013; lenticular print on lightbox, 150 x 100 cm)

Helmut Newton, Jassara, Rue Abriot, Paris, 1977 (1977; silver salt print, 50 x 40 cm)

Jacques Majorelle, French. La belle Zohra (1955; gouache, charcoal and gold on paper, 54 x 72 cm)

Jacopo Amigoni, Venus and Adonis (oil on canvas, 216 x 150 cm)

Henri Martin, Beauté (1900; oil on canvas, 189.5 x 109.9 cm)

Andy Warhol, Alba Clemente (ca. 1984; silver salt print, 25.3 x 20.2 cm)

Terry Rodgers, The delicate process of limiting access (2005; oil on linen canvas, 152 x 188.5 cm)

Pablo Picasso, Nude Man and Woman (1971; ink and pencil on paper, 51 x 66.5 cm)

Francesco Barzaghi, Frine (1868; white marble, height 169 cm)

Yves Klein, Venus Bleue (conceived in 1962 and executed posthumously in 1982; pigments and resin on plaster, 69 x 32 x 24 cm)

Gustav Klimt, Liebespaar nach rechts liegend (1904-1905; pencil on paper, 37.2 x 56.5 cm)

A major auction of erotic art at Sotheby's. Photos

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.