Erotic Scene from I Modi

A monochromatic wash drawing or print depicting a man and woman in a sexual embrace on a bed draped with heavy fabric. The woman lies partially on her back with her head turned toward the man, her arm draped over his shoulder; the man is positioned behind her, his body pressed against hers. To the left, carved into the wooden headboard, is a small winged putto; to the right, a censer emits thin wisps of smoke. The composition uses soft gradients of grey to emphasize the soft musculature and skin tones of the figures, set against a dark, curtained background.

This work is a 19th-century imitation or reinterpretation of the 'I Modi' (The Positions), a notorious set of erotic engravings by Marcantonio Raimondi after Giulio Romano that deeply scandalized the 16th-century Papal court. It represents the persistent fascination with Renaissance erotica during the 19th century and the tradition of using classical aesthetic forms to explore carnal themes.