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Édouard-Henri Avril

Édouard-Henri Avril

Édouard-Henri Avril, also known as Paul Avril, indeed had a remarkable career as a painter and commercial artist, particularly known for his illustrations in erotic literature. His work often featured intricate and sensuous depictions that captured the essence of the narratives he illustrated. Collaborating with influential figures like Octave Uzanne, Henry Spencer Ashbee, and Friedrich Karl Forberg, Avril’s art became synonymous with the aesthetic and artistic sensibilities of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His illustrations, while controversial for their subject matter at the time, are now recognized as significant contributions to both the art of illustration and the history of erotica.[1]

Before embarking on his career in art, Avril served as a soldier. His valor and dedication during the Franco-Prussian War earned him the prestigious Legion of Honour award.

Édouard-Henri Avril
Born (1849-05-21)21 May 1849

Algiers, French Algeria
Died 28 July 1928(1928-07-28)(aged 79)

Le Raincy, Paris,French Third Republic
Nationality French
Education École des Beaux-Arts
Known for Illustrator of erotic literature
Notable work
De figuris Veneris,Fortunio
Awards Legion of Honour

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Life

Les charmes de Fanny exposés (plate VIII) from Fanny Hill is one of the most famous works of Avril

Les charmes de Fanny exposés(plate VIII) fromFanny Hillis one of the most famous works of Avril

Avril was born in Algiers, where his father served as a colonel in the gendarmerie. Before pursuing his studies in art, Avril himself fought in the Franco-Prussian War and was wounded. His injuries led to his retirement from military service on January 23, 1872. Notably, he was awarded the Legion of Honour on May 31, 1871, in recognition of the injuries he sustained during the war. These experiences undoubtedly influenced his later artistic career, contributing to the depth and complexity of his work.[2]

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”.[3]His pseudonym can lead to a confusion with his brother,[1][4]who was named Paul-Victor Avril, and was also an artist and worked as an engraver.[4]Avril studied art in various Paris sex salons.

From 1874 to 1878 he was at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris.[3][2]He worked for the illustrated newsmagazineLe Monde illustréin 1882.[4][5]

Commissioned to illustrate Théophile Gautier’s novel “Fortunio,” Avril adopted the pseudonym “Paul Avril.” His reputation swiftly burgeoned, garnering numerous commissions to illustrate works by prominent authors as well as what was known as “galante literature” — a euphemism for erotica prevalent at the time. Notably, Avril first gained acclaim as a commercial illustrator of novels before venturing into the realm of underground erotic literature. These clandestine works were often distributed in limited editions through subscription-based models, orchestrated by collectors. Typically, erotica of the era saw minimal print runs, sometimes restricted to just a hundred copies or less, and circulated exclusively within select circles of collectors.

Because of the obscenity of Avril and his works, it is difficult to assess the real impact that his art might have had on culture.[3]

Avril died at Le Raincy in Metropolitan France in 1928.[7]

Works

Bookplate designed by Avril for erotica collector Henry Spencer Ashbee

Bookplate designed by Avril for erotica collector Henry Spencer Ashbee

Avril’s notable illustrations include those for “De Figuris Veneris: A Manual of Classical Erotica” in 1906. Another significant work he illustrated was John Cleland’s “Fanny Hill” (also known as “Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure”), a groundbreaking and controversial publication as it was the first English novel to delve into erotica. Avril’s edition of the book features “Les charmes de Fanny exposés,” one of his most renowned illustrations. Additionally, he provided illustrations for Gustave Flaubert’s “Salammbô,” Théophile Gautier’s “Le Roi Caundale,” Jean Baptiste Louvet de Couvray’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, and the anonymous lesbian novel “Gamiani.” Avril’s contributions to these works solidified his reputation as a master illustrator of both classical and contemporary erotic literature.[2][6]

Classicizing works illustrated by Avril includeOeuvres d’Horace(1887),Une nuit de Cléopâtre(1894),Daphnis et Chloé(1898), andLes sonnets luxurieux de l’Aretin(1904).[9]Avril might be best known for his sapphic, or lesbian, illustrations.[10]

Prolific erotica collector Henry Spencer Ashbee commissioned Avril to design a bookplate for him.[9]Avril worked with Octave Uzanne,[10][11]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)[12]consisted of 160 people from literary circles, including Avril.[11]

List of works and editions illustrated

  • L’Éventail(1882)[10]

  • L’Ombrelle – Le Gant – Le Manchon(1883)

  • Fortunio(1883)[5]

  • Adventures of the Chevalier de Faublas(1884)[13]

  • Mon Oncle Barbassou(Scenes in a Harem) (1884)[5]

  • Fanny Hill(fr. 1887, eng. 1906)[5]

  • Oeuvres d’Horace(1887)[5]

  • The Mirror of the World(1888)[14]

  • Le Roi Caundale(1893)[5]

  • Une nuit de Cléopâtre(1894)[15]

  • The Life and Adventures of Father Silas(1896)[5]

  • Daphnis et Chloé(1898)[5]

  • Musk, Hashish and Blood(1899)[5]

  • Les Sonnets Luxurieux de l’Aretin(1904)[5]

  • Gamiani(1905)[5]

  • De Figuris Veneris: A Manual of Classical Erotica(1906)[5]

  • Salammbô(1906)[5]

  • Histoire de Saturnin(1908)

  • The Madam

References

[1]

Citation Linkwww.kettererkunst.com“Paul Eduard Henry Avril – Biography and Offers – Buy and Sell Retrieved 01 August 2012”. Kettererkunst.com. Retrieved 6 September 2012.

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[2]

Citation Linkwww.stilearte.it“Paul Avril, i piaceri sfrenati dell’artista-soldato dell’Ottocento. Il video”. 5 March 2018.

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[3]

Citation Linktheculturetrip.comArmitage, Helen. “Édouard-Henri Avril: The Master of 19th Century Pornography”. Retrieved 3 October 2016.

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[4]

Citation Linkwww.researchgate.net“Transits of Venus and Mercury as muses”.

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[5]

Citation Linkwww.dictionnaire-des-illustrateurs.com“Paul Avril; Avril Paul”.

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[6]

Citation Linkbooks.google.comTom Cutler (18 October 2012).Slap and Tickle: The Unusual History of Sex and the People Who Have it. Little, Brown Book Group. p. 31. ISBN 978-1-78033-836-1.

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[7]

Citation Linkwww.all-art.org“Paul Avril”.Dictionary of Art & Artist. Retrieved 13 April 2015.

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[8]

Citation Linkbooks.google.comJoseph A. Boone (18 March 2014).The Homoerotics of Orientalism. Columbia University Press. pp. 401–402. ISBN 978-0-231-15110-8.

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[9]

Citation Link//doi.org/10.1002%2F9781444323566Blanshard, Alastair J. L. (2010).Sex: Vice and Love from Antiquity to Modernity. doi:10.1002/9781444323566. ISBN 978-1-4443-2356-6.

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[10]

Citation Linkbooks.google.comSusan Hiner (6 June 2011).Accessories to Modernity: Fashion and the Feminine in Nineteenth-Century France. University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 112–113, 242. ISBN 978-0-8122-0533-6.

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[11]

Citation Linkbooks.google.comWilla Z. Silverman (2008).The New Bibliopolis: French Book Collectors and the Culture of Print, 1880–1914. University of Toronto Press. pp. 83–84. ISBN 978-0-8020-9211-3.

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[12]

Citation Link//www.worldcat.org/oclc/697614752Curinier, CE (1914). “Uzanne (Louis Octave)”.Dictionnaire national des contemporains(in French).IV. Paris: Office Général d’Edition. pp. 66–67. OCLC 697614752.

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[13]

Citation Linkbooks.google.comMichael Reynolds (17 June 2016).Creating Der Rosenkavalier: From Chevalier to Cavalier. Boydell & Brewer. p. 9. ISBN 978-1-78327-049-1.

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[14]

Citation Linkbooks.google.comH.P. Bois (1892).Four private libraries of New York. Рипол Классик. p. 96. ISBN 978-5-87738-216-9.

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[15]

Citation Linkbooks.google.comMary E. Davis (15 October 2010).Ballets Russes Style: Diaghilev’s Dancers and Paris Fashion. Reaktion Books. p. 109. ISBN 978-1-86189-885-2.

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[16]

Citation Linkwww.arterotismo.comAvril’s Gallery of Classical Erotica

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[17]

Citation Linkwww.eroticabibliophile.comA Checklist of Works Illustrated by Paul Avril (46 items)

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[18]

Citation Linkwww.culture.gouv.frRecords

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[19]

Citation Linkwww.kettererkunst.com“Paul Eduard Henry Avril – Biography and Offers – Buy and Sell Retrieved 01 August 2012”

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[20]

Citation Linkwww.stilearte.it“Paul Avril, i piaceri sfrenati dell’artista-soldato dell’Ottocento. Il video”

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[21]

Citation Linktheculturetrip.com“Édouard-Henri Avril: The Master of 19th Century Pornography”

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[22]

Citation Linkwww.researchgate.net“Transits of Venus and Mercury as muses”

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[23]

Citation Linkwww.dictionnaire-des-illustrateurs.com“Paul Avril; Avril Paul”

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[24]

Citation Linkbooks.google.comSlap and Tickle: The Unusual History of Sex and the People Who Have it

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[25]

Citation Linkwww.all-art.org“Paul Avril”

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[26]

Citation Linkbooks.google.comThe Homoerotics of Orientalism

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[27]

Citation Linkdoi.org10.1002/9781444323566

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[28]

Citation Linkbooks.google.comAccessories to Modernity: Fashion and the Feminine in Nineteenth-Century France

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[29]

Citation Linkbooks.google.comThe New Bibliopolis: French Book Collectors and the Culture of Print, 1880–1914

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[30]

Citation Linkarchive.org“Uzanne (Louis Octave)”

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[31]

Citation Linkarchive.orgDictionnaire national des contemporains

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[32]

Citation Linkwww.worldcat.org697614752

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[33]

Citation Linkbooks.google.comCreating Der Rosenkavalier: From Chevalier to Cavalier

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[34]

Citation Linkbooks.google.comFour private libraries of New York

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[35]

Citation Linkbooks.google.comBallets Russes Style: Diaghilev’s Dancers and Paris Fashion

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[36]

Citation Linkwww.arterotismo.comAvril’s Gallery of Classical Erotica

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[37]

Citation Linkwww.eroticabibliophile.comA Checklist of Works Illustrated by Paul Avril (46 items)

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[38]

Citation Linkwww.culture.gouv.frRecords

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[39]

Citation Linkupload.wikimedia.orgSexual intercourse in themissionary position

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[40]

Citation Linkupload.wikimedia.orgLes Sonnetts Luxurieux (1892) de Pietro Aretino

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[41]

Citation Linkupload.wikimedia.orgLes Sonnetts Luxurieux (1892) de Pietro Aretino

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[42]

Citation Linkupload.wikimedia.orgLes Sonnetts Luxurieux (1892) de Pietro Aretino

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[43]

Citation Linkupload.wikimedia.orgLes Sonnetts Luxurieux (1892) de Pietro Aretino

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[44]

Citation Linkupload.wikimedia.org19th-century erotic interpretation of Roman emperor Hadrian and Antinous engaged in anal intercourse, by Édouard-Henri Avril

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[45]

Citation Linkupload.wikimedia.orgFrom the essay “De Figuris Veneris” by Friedrich Karl Forberg (1770–1848). The placard in the lower right hand corner reads “Gnothi seauton”, Socrates’ admonition to his friends to “know yourself”. 1860 ca.

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[46]

Citation Linkupload.wikimedia.orgMissionary position

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[47]

Citation Linkupload.wikimedia.orgInterior illustration forDe figuris Venerisfrom Friedrich Karl Forberg

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[48]

Citation Linkupload.wikimedia.orgPlate XVIII from “De figuris Veneris”

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[49]

Citation Linkupload.wikimedia.orgPlate XVII fromDe Figuris Venerisportrays a more extreme form of Avril’s work.

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[50]

Citation Linkupload.wikimedia.orgHistoire de Saturnin 1908

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM
[51]

Citation Linken.wikipedia.orgThe original version of this page is from Wikipedia, you can edit the page right here on Everipedia.Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Additional terms may apply.See everipedia.org/everipedia-termsfor further details.Images/media credited individually (click the icon for details).

Oct 1, 2019, 11:08 PM