Édouard-Henri Avril (21 May 1849 – 28 July 1928) was a French painter and

commercial artist Commercial art is the art of creative services, referring to art created for commercial purposes, primarily advertising. Commercial art uses a variety of platforms (magazines, websites, apps, television, etc.) for viewers with the intent of prom ...

. Under the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

Paul Avril, he was an illustrator of

erotic literature Erotic literature comprises fictional and factual stories and accounts of eros (passionate, romantic or sexual relationships) intended to arouse similar feelings in readers. This contrasts erotica, which focuses more specifically on sexual feel ...

. His career saw collaboration with influential people like

Octave Uzanne Octave Uzanne (14 September 1851 – 31 October 1931) was a 19th-century French bibliophile, writer, publisher, and journalist. He is noted for his literary research on the authors of the 18th century. He published many previously unpublishe ...

Henry Spencer Ashbee Henry Spencer Ashbee (21 April 1834 – 29 July 1900)(Walter) was a book collector, writer, and bibliographer. He is notable for his massive, clandestine three-volume bibliography of erotic literature published under the pseudonym of Pisanus Frax ...

and

Friedrich Karl Forberg Friedrich Karl Forberg (30 August 1770, Meuselwitz – 1 January 1848, Hildburghausen) was a German philosopher and classical scholar. Biography Born in 1770 in Thuringia, Forberg studied under Karl Leonhard Reinhold at Jena. In 1791 he travel ...

. Avril was a soldier before starting his career in art. He was awarded with the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

for his actions in the Franco-Prussian War.

Life

Avril was born in Algiers. His father was a colonel of the gendarmerie. Avril himself fought and was wounded in the Franco-Prussian War before starting his studies in art. He was awarded with the

on 31 May 1871 for injuries sustained during the war. The injuries resulted in retirement from his military career on 23 January 1872. Biographical material of his life is scarce due to the obscene nature of his work, and because he worked under a pseudonym of "Paul Avril". His pseudonym can lead to a confusion with his brother, who was named Paul-Victor Avril, and was also an artist and worked as an engraver. Édouard-Henri Avril (6)

Octave Uzanne-L'Ombrelle-Le Gant-Le Manchon- 1883

From 1874 to 1878 he was at the

École des Beaux-Arts École des Beaux-Arts (; ) refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The term is associated with the Beaux-Arts style in architecture and city planning that thrived in France and other countries during the late nineteenth centur ...

in Paris. He worked for the illustrated newsmagazine ''

Le Monde illustré ''Le Monde illustré'' (title translation: ''The Illustrated World'') was a leading illustrated news magazine in France which was published from 1857–1940 and again from 1945 to 1956. It was in many ways similar to its contemporary English ...

'' in 1882. Having been commissioned to illustrate

Théophile Gautier Pierre Jules Théophile Gautier ( , ; 30 August 1811 – 23 October 1872) was a French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic. While an ardent defender of Romanticism, Gautier's work is difficult to classify and rema ...

's novel ''Fortunio'', he adopted the pseudonym "Paul Avril". His reputation was soon established and he received many commissions to illustrate both major authors and the so-called "galante literature" of the day, a form of

erotica Erotica is literature or art that deals substantively with subject matter that is erotic, sexually stimulating or sexually arousing. Some critics regard pornography as a type of erotica, but many consider it to be different. Erotic art may use ...

. However, his reputation as a commercial illustrator of novels was established before he began illustrating the more

underground Underground most commonly refers to: * Subterranea (geography), the regions beneath the surface of the Earth Underground may also refer to: Places * The Underground (Boston), a music club in the Allston neighborhood of Boston * The Underground ...

erotic literature. These books were typically sold in small editions on a subscription basis, organised by collectors. Erotica of that time received very limited prints and sometimes were limited to only 100 or so copies, or were sold only within exclusive circles of collectors. Because of the perceived obscenity of Avril and his works, it is difficult to assess the impact that his art might have had on the culture of the time. Avril died at

Le Raincy Le Raincy () is a prestigious commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. Le Raincy is a subprefecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis department and the seat of the Arrondissement of Le Raincy. Its popu ...

, near Paris, in 1928.

Works

Avril's major work were the illustrations in 1906 for '' De Figuris Veneris: A Manual of Classical Erotica''. Another important work illustrated by Avril was

John Cleland John Cleland (c. 1709, baptised – 23 January 1789) was an English novelist best known for his fictional '' Fanny Hill: or, the Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure'', whose eroticism led to his arrest. James Boswell called him "a sly, old malcont ...

's ''

Fanny Hill ''Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure''—popularly known as ''Fanny Hill''—is an erotic novel by English novelist John Cleland first published in London in 1748. Written while the author was in debtors' prison in London,Wagner, "Introduction" ...

'' (also known as ''Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure''), which was a significant and controversial publication of its time as it was the first novel to bring erotica to English literature. The book's edition illustrated by Avril includes ''Les charmes de Fanny exposés'' that is one of his better known pictures. He illustrated such works as

Gustave Flaubert Gustave Flaubert ( , , ; 12 December 1821 – 8 May 1880) was a French novelist. Highly influential, he has been considered the leading exponent of literary realism in his country. According to the literary theorist Kornelije Kvas, "in Flauber ...

's ''

Salammbô ''Salammbô'' (1862) is a historical novel by Gustave Flaubert. It is set in Carthage immediately before and during the Mercenary Revolt (241–237 BCE). Flaubert's principal source was Book I of the ''Histories'', written by the Greek hist ...

'', Gautier's ''Le Roi Caundale'',

Jean Baptiste Louvet de Couvray Jean-Baptiste Louvet de Couvray (12 June 1760 – 25 August 1797) was a French novelist, playwright and journalist. Life Early life and literary works Born in Paris as the son of a stationer, Louvet became a bookseller's clerk, and first attra ...

's ''Adventures of the Chevalier de Faublas'', Mario Uchard's ''Mon Oncle Barbassou'' (scenes in a harem), Jules Michelet's ''The Madam'', Hector France's ''Musk, Hashish and Blood'', the writings of

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 ...

, and the anonymous lesbian novel '' Gamiani''. Classicizing works illustrated by Avril include '' Oeuvres d’Horace'' (1887), Une nuit de Cléopâtre (1894), ''

Daphnis et Chloé ''Daphnis et Chloé'' is a 1912 ''symphonie chorégraphique'', or choreographic symphony, for orchestra and wordless chorus by Maurice Ravel. It is in three main sections, or ''parties'', and a dozen scenes, most of them dances, and lasts just u ...

'' (1898), and '' Les sonnets luxurieux de l’Aretin'' (1904). Avril might be best known for his sapphic, or lesbian, illustrations. Prolific erotica collector

commissioned Avril to design a bookplate for him. Avril worked with

, who after leaving the Société des Amis des Livres, which he found too conservative and too concerned with the reissue of old works, started two new bibliographic societies. The Société des Bibliophiles Contemporaines (1889–1894) consisted of 160 people from literary circles, including Avril.

List of works and editions illustrated

*''L'Éventail'' (1882) *''L'Ombrelle – Le Gant – Le Manchon'' (1883) *''Fortunio'' (1883) *''Adventures of the Chevalier de Faublas'' (1884) *''Mon Oncle Barbassou'' (''Scenes in a Harem'') (1884) *''Fanny Hill'' (fr. 1887, eng. 1906) *''Oeuvres d’Horace'' (1887) *''The Mirror of the World'' (1888) *''Le Roi Caundale'' (1893) *''Une nuit de Cléopâtre'' (1894) *''The Life and Adventures of Father Silas'' (1896) *''Daphnis et Chloé'' (1898) *''Musk, Hashish and Blood'' (1899) *''Les Sonnets Luxurieux de l’Aretin'' (1904) *''Gamiani'' (1905) *''De Figuris Veneris: A Manual of Classical Erotica'' (1906) *''Salammbô'' (1906) *''Histoire de Saturnin'' (1908) *''The Madam''

Gallery

File:Paul Avril - Les Sonnetts Luxurieux (1892) de Pietro Aretino, 2.jpg, Sexual intercourse in the

missionary position The missionary position or man-on-top position is a sex position in which, generally, a woman lies on her back and a man lies on top of her while they face each other and engage in vaginal intercourse. The position may also be used for other ...

File:Paul Avril - Les Sonnetts Luxurieux (1892) de Pietro Aretino, 6.jpg, Les Sonnets Luxurieux (1892) de

File:Paul Avril - Les Sonnetts Luxurieux (1892) de Pietro Aretino, 7.jpg, Les Sonnets Luxurieux (1892) de Pietro Aretino File:Paul Avril - Les Sonnetts Luxurieux (1892) de Pietro Aretino, 8.jpg, Les Sonnets Luxurieux (1892) de Pietro Aretino File:Paul Avril - Les Sonnetts Luxurieux (1892) de Pietro Aretino, 3.jpg, Les Sonnets Luxurieux (1892) de Pietro Aretino Image:Édouard-Henri Avril (31).jpg, Cover. Image:Édouard-Henri_Avril_(13).jpg, Missionary position. Image:Édouard-Henri Avril (23).jpg, Interior illustration. Image:Édouard-Henri Avril (22).jpg, It portrays a male masturbating while sexually fantasizing. Image:Édouard-Henri_Avril_(29).jpg, Plate XVIII. Image:Édouard-Henri Avril (28).jpg, Depiction of zoophilia. (Plate XVII) Image:Édouard-Henri Avril (30).jpg, Illustration of a foursome. Image:Édouard-Henri Avril (25).jpg, Illustration of an orgy. Image:Édouard-Henri Avril (14).jpg, Depiction of a woman on top position. Image:Édouard-Henri Avril (24).jpg, Depiction of cunnilingus in the life of Sappho. Image:Édouard-Henri Avril (27).jpg, Dildo being used by two women. Image:Édouard-Henri Avril (18) Hadrian and Antinous in Egypt.jpg, Interpretation of Roman emperor Hadrian and Antinous engaged in anal intercourse. (Plate VII) Image:Édouard-Henri Avril (19).jpg, The placard in the lower right hand corner reads "Gnothi seauton", Socrates' admonition to his friends to "know yourself". Image:Édouard-Henri Avril (20).jpg, Fellatio scene. Image:Histoire de Saturnin - Paul Avril - 1908.jpg, Histoire de Saturnin 1908

References

External links

Avril's Gallery of Classical Erotica

A Checklist of Works Illustrated by Paul Avril (46 items)

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