The Complete Book of Er*t!c Art

Compiled by Drs. Phyllis and Eberhard Kronhausen with introductory essays and a special report on the first international exhibition of erotic art

It is clear from the collection presented here that erotic art is not the preoccupation of the perverted few, but of the creative geniuses of all times, and that it is meant for the enjoyment of the many. As modern society sheds the unnatural taboos with which primitive fear and superstition have surrounded sexuality, erotic art may yet become a mark of gracious living in the home and a vital force in the visual arts themselves—perhaps their last, still largely unexplored frontier.

This book stems from the First International Exhibition of Erotic Art, which took place in public museums in the cities of Lund, Sweden, and Aarhus, Denmark, during the summer and fall of 1968. Based on the private collection of psychologists Phyllis and Eberhard Kronhausen, the exhibition was supplemented by loans from museums, galleries, and private collections. It included over a thousand examples of erotic pictures and statuary from ancient to modern times and from such different cultures as India, China, Japan, Africa, Europe, and the United States.

The historical significance of the exhibition lies in the fact that this was the first time state- and city-supported museums had dared to present a show devoted exclusively to frankly erotic art.

This book was originally published by Tantra in two volumes as Erotic Art (1968) and Erotic Art 2 (1970).