Come with me on a fleshy tour of saucy London. When I first wrote about erotic art in London, it became the best-read post on my blog, which of course makes me laugh and wink right back at you. So here is the updated guide: join Venus and Londoness in search of the best erotic art in London, from a kinky leather chair and mummified curiosities to rococo peeping toms and neon from Soho’s old strip clubs.
Peek-a-boo: my favourite erotic art in London
Still my favourite piece of erotic art in London is The Swing by Jean-Honoré Fragonard at the Wallace Collection in Marylebone. This rococo masterpiece shows a young Peeping Tom looking up the skirt of a swinging lady’s pink dress whilst an older man controls the ropes behind her.
Another favourite of mine from the Wallace Collection is A Lady at her Toilet by Jean-Antoine Watteau.
Rodin and the ancient Greeks at the British Museum
The French have always been masters of all things erotique, and Monsieur Rodin’s splendid The Kiss is one of the finest three-dimensional examples of sexual love. The adulterous lovers from Dante’s Inferno, Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta, are in the throes of a passionate embrace and moments away from being slain by Francesca’s husband. I caught a loan of it from the Rodin Museum in Paris at the British Museum, when it was shown alongside the ancient Greek sculptures that Rodin called his masters. Tate also owns its own version of the two-timing couple.
And whilst you’re at the British Museum, I think the two chappies on this Parthenon marble look like they’re having a rather homoerotic tug-of-war, don’t you? It’s a centaur and a Lapith locked in combat.
Flashy not trashy at God’s Own Junkyard
More Ali Baba’s cave than junkyard, you might need sunglasses for this glittering emporium of disco balls, film props, neon “artwork” and irreverent signage. Chris Bracey, the late owner of God’s Own Junkyard, started his neon life supplying signs for the strip clubs of Soho before going on to supply the film industry as well as clients around the world. Getting to Walthamstow is a bit of a challenge, but it’s worth the trek. And whatever you do, bring your sense of humour with you!
Erotic art in London: the original pin-up at the Courtauld
The master of the nude, Modigliani, scandalised Paris with his superbly dishevelled ladies. His one and only solo show in 1917 was shut down by the police on its opening day. You can see his Seated Nude at the Courtauld Gallery in Somerset House, and you can read my review of Modigliani at Tate Modern too.
Fauvist artist Vlaminck painted a series of portrayals of Parisian prostitutes in the style of Toulouse-Lautrec. His voluptuous Reclining Nude is draped on the walls of the Courtauld Gallery.
Then there is the cheeky, atmospheric, very strange Luncheon on the Grass by Manet, which caused a scandal when it was first shown at the Salon des Refusés. The original is in the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, but London has its baby sister at the Courtauld.
And for a luminescent, sexually charged painting, look out for Nymphs by a Fountain by the Dutch Baroque painter Peter Lely at Dulwich Picture Gallery. Lely is often credited with the birth of the British nude, and he painted portraits for Charles II’s court.
Venus at the National Gallery
Last but not least, the languid, sensual Venus. The suffragette Mary Richardson tried to destroy her in 1914, but luckily for us she was restored to her former glory and hangs in the National Gallery. Read more in my conversation with the Rokeby Venus.
Kinky boots at Tate Britain
This one gets many tongues wagging: is it an insult to women or simply a little bit of fetishly naughty fun? Chair by British pop artist Allen Jones is the sculpture that started the debate, and it has been shown at Tate Britain in all its fleshy finery. Check what is on display before you go, and whatever you do, don’t sit on it!
Erotic art in London: Turner’s secret sketches
Did the art critic John Ruskin burn the bulk of J.M.W. Turner’s erotic sketches for the sake of preserving the artist’s reputation, keeping only a few “as evidence of a failure of mind only”? Whether myth or fact, Tate Britain looks after a collection of these very raunchy sketches, but you will need to make an appointment to see them, so check the Tate website for how to book.
Viktor Wynd’s cabinet of curiosities
Apparently Elton John had his eye on the world’s longest-standing erection, but the price tag was too high. You can examine the seven-inch mummified penis in London’s strangest cabinet of curiosities, the Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities in Hackney. And if you want to call it art, there was also a jar containing Viagra and a pack of condoms said to have been found in a hotel room used by the Rolling Stones. Opening times change, so check the website before you set off.
Oh I say, Mr Sambourne!
Edward Linley Sambourne of 18 Stafford Terrace in Kensington was a bit of a naughty voyeur. The house museum where he once lived is a Victorian treasure trove and looks very proper indeed. That is, until you reach the top floor, where he photographed female models in their birthday suits when his wife Marion was away. He also liked to catch unsuspecting people in the street with a concealed camera. I like to think Sambourne would have been very comfortable in the modern world of Instagram and reality TV! Sambourne House has limited opening days, so check before you go.