Set of Three Erotic Boudoir Lithographs, Berlin, circa 1850
€ 1 150
Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)
Date
1850
Publisher
Berlin, Germany
Sheet size
49 × 36 cm (19.3 × 14.2 in)
Condition
Good
Reference
BG-14339-1, -2, -3
What the condition grades mean
Excellent
Bright and clean, with no faults worth mentioning.
Very good
Only light signs of age, such as faint toning.
Good
Normal signs of age for a sheet of this period: toning, some foxing, small marks or neat old repairs.
Fair
Clear faults such as staining, tears or repairs, priced to match.
Every fault we see is written in the condition note, and the whole sheet is shown uncropped in the photos.
Condition
Wear consistent with age and use. Good antique condition, but the sheets do show age-related toning and scattered foxing and spotting, particularly in the margins. Minor handling and edge wear are present, consistent with their age. The lithographed scenes retain attractive.
About this sheet
A rare and highly decorative set of three original mid-19th-century erotic boudoir lithographs, published by F. Sala & Co. in Berlin and printed by Gebrüder Waldow, circa 1850.
The series presents three intimate scenes of women in private dressing rooms and bedrooms, combining fashionable interiors, partial nudity and suggestive situations with a distinctly playful narrative. Each composition is surrounded by an elaborate ornamental border and accompanied by captions in both German and French.
The first scene shows three women dressing and admiring themselves before a mirror. Its captions read “Wo speisen wir heut?” / “Où dînerons nous aujourd’hui?” — “Where shall we dine today?”
The second shows two women at their toilette, one seated and the other partially undressed. The captions make a playful reference to money, adding a suggestive social dimension to the intimate scene.
The third, and most overtly sensual, depicts a partially undressed woman alone on a canopied bed. Its captions read “Keine Hoffnung – Alles dahin!” / “Quand on a tout perdu et qu’on n’a plus d’espoir!!!” — “No hope – all is lost!” / “When one has lost everything and has no hope left!”
The bilingual captions are an important part of the series, transforming the images from simple representations of fashionable women into humorous and suggestive narrative scenes. Mirrors, dressing, undressing, private bedrooms and references to dining, money and lost hope give the group the character of sophisticated mid-19th-century erotic and social satire.
Offered together as a coherent set of three original period lithographs.
ARTIST / MAKER: Bülow, attributed; published by F. Sala & Co., Unter den Linden 57, Berlin; printed by Gebrüder Waldow, Berlin
MEDIUM: Original tinted and colored lithographs on paper
STYLE / PERIOD: Romantic / Historicism, mid-19th century
FRAMING: Offered unframed. Any framed or interior images shown are for presentation and inspiration only.
AUTHENTICITY: A set of three original antique lithographs dating from circa 1850. These are original period prints and not modern reproductions.
