Jacques-Joseph, Jacques Joseph or Joseph Coiny (19 March 1761 – 28 May 1809) was a French engraver.

The Aretin or Collection of Erotic Postures

His best-known work remains his 20 engravings of erotic poses for Augustine Carracci's The Aretin or Collection of Erotic Postures, published by

Pierre Didot Didot is the name of a family of French printers, punch-cutters and publishers. Through its achievements and advancements in printing, publishing and typography, the family has lent its name to typographic measurements developed by François-Amb ...

in Paris in 1798. Its title refers to the supposed but impossible collaboration between

Agostino Carracci Agostino Carracci (or Caracci) (16 August 1557 – 22 March 1602) was an Italian painter, printmaker, tapestry designer, and art teacher. He was, together with his brother, Annibale Carracci, and cousin, Ludovico Carracci, one of the founders of ...

(1557-1602) and

Pietro Aretino Pietro Aretino (, ; 19 or 20 April 1492 – 21 October 1556) was an Italian author, playwright, poet, satirist and blackmailer, who wielded influence on contemporary art and politics. He was one of the most influential writers of his time and a ...

(1492-1556) on a collection of erotic images and verse entitled ''

I Modi ''I Modi'' (''The Ways''), also known as ''The Sixteen Pleasures'' or under the Latin title ''De omnibus Veneris Schematibus'', is a famous erotic book of the Italian Renaissance in which a series of sexual positions were explicitly depicted i ...

'', but it was not based on their work. Instead, Coiny's works seem to have been inspired by the erotic poses in 'The Loves of the Gods' executed in

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

at the start of the 17th century in burin by

Pieter de Jode I Petrus, or Pieter de Jode I or Pieter de Jode the Elder (1570 – 9 August 1634), was a Flemish printmaker, draughtsman, publisher and painter active principally active in Antwerp. He was active as a reproductive artist who created many prints a ...

(1570–1634). This theory is one of at least two theories that each describe what images Augustine Carracci's The Aretin or Collection of Erotic Postures was based on. In effect, Coiny seems to have had a set of six anonymous prints, but it is difficult to say precisely which. Nathalie Strasser in ''Éros invaincu. La Bibliothèque Gérard Nordmann'', Genève, Cercle d'art, 2004, pp. 30–31. "L'Arétin" in the title probably does not specifically refer to

and his original poems for ''

'' – by the mid 17th century, an "Arétin" referred to any work reproducing pornography using mythological scenes.

Other works and pupils

Coiny's other works include engravings of battle paintings by

Louis-François Lejeune Louis-François, Baron Lejeune (3 February 1775 in Strasbourg – 29 February 1848) was a French general, painter, and lithographer. His memoirs have frequently been republished and his name is engraved on the Arc de Triomphe. Life He studi ...

. His pupils included Théodore Richomme and his son Joseph Coiny won the

Prix de Rome The Prix de Rome () or Grand Prix de Rome was a French scholarship for arts students, initially for painters and sculptors, that was established in 1663 during the reign of Louis XIV of France. Winners were awarded a bursary that allowed them t ...

for engraving in 1816.

References

External links

*http://data.bnf.fr/14954574/jacques-joseph_coiny/ French engravers 1761 births 1809 deaths {{France-engraver-stub