Forbidden Images: An Exhibition of Eastern and Western Erotic Art from the 18th Century to the Present Day.

1985.. 8vo. (21 x 14 cm). Unpaginated. Original blue paper wrappers printed in black with erotic image spanning both covers. Extensively illustrated throughout in black and white and colour. A very good copy, as new. Catalogue of an exhibition held 27 March-17 May 1985. With an introduction by Peter Webb. "It was with considerable delight that we discovered a sizeable area of art that had never been the subject of an exhibition in this country. Some aspects of erotic art have been shown, especially contemporary, but no-one has attempted to assemble them as a comprehensive theme. Because so much ground has already been covered by art historical exhibitions in the last twenty years, both by museums and commercial galleries, it seems that only the most obscure academic corners are left unexplored, or indeed that only the most banal repetitions are eligible. And yet in this quest for novelty, erotic art has steadfastly been ignored, unjustly in our opinion. Though excited by the idea of breaking new ground, we naturally had misgivings about the way that some visitors and other, more official, spectators might react; for in showing such a group of pictures, to some extent we were likely to revive the hoary old art/pornography controversy. In the end we decided against any sort of defensive posture, preferring to rely on the common sense and tolerance of those who might be offended, should they stroll in expecting something else - and the intellectual curiosity and enthusiasm of those who had not encountered this genre of painting before. With the exception of a few enlightened scholars, such as Sir William Hamilton and Richard Payne Knight, for whom erotica posed no embarrassment in their collection of classical antiquities, most collectors, from the eighteenth century onwards, tended to keep their erotic art in a separate category. English collectors in particular seemed to possess houses large enough to conceal a portfolio in some forgotten cupboard of a ducal library without fear of its contents being discovered by, and subsequently corrupting, a curious retainer. Fortunately as a result of this furtive behaviour, watercolours often remained in excellent condition. The public, however, has never really been given the chance to assess for itself the aesthetic merits of such art - the famous address to the jury by Mervyn Griffith-Jones (prosecution) in the Lady Chatterly's Lover trial comes to mind: 'Is this the sort of book that you would allow your wife or servants to read?' With the coming of the 'permissive' nineteen sixties and early seventies, there occurred a so-called sexual revolution. Today, with the advantage of time, a reaction has set in that justifiably discredits some of the more tawdry manifestations of that era and shows up some of its more hysterical pundits. We now hope that this exhibition can be viewed and evaluated with a more balanced approach, and that collectors will not become inhibited by fears of scandalising their butler" (Foreword).