I Modi: Position 7

A monochrome print showing two nude figures in an intimate embrace on a draped couch. The woman faces the man, her legs straddling his lap, while her head is covered with a simple veil or cap. Her right hand rests on his shoulder or upper back, and his hands support her hips and waist. A small stool is placed under the woman’s left foot. The background features heavy, vertical drapery to the right and a plain wall behind the bed, rendered in soft greyscale tones that suggest a neoclassical aesthetic.

This work is part of a series produced by Waldeck in the 19th century, inspired by the 'I Modi' (The Positions), a famous 16th-century series of erotic sonnets by Pietro Aretino accompanied by engravings by Marcantonio Raimondi. It represents a 19th-century revival of Renaissance erotic literature and classical-style art.