Édouard-Henri Avril

Édouard-Henri Avril (21 May 1843 in Algiers – 1928 in Le Raincy) was a French painter and commercial artist. Under the pseudonym Paul Avril, he was an illustrator of erotic literature.

Avril studied art in various Paris salons. From 1874 to 1878 he was at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris. Having been commissioned to illustrate Théophile Gautier's novel "Fortunio", he adopted the pseudonym "Paul Avril". His reputation was soon established and he received many commissions to illustrate both major authors and the so-called "galante literature" of the day, a form of erotica. These books were typically sold in small editions on a subscription basis, organised by collectors.

Avril illustrated such works as Gustave Flaubert's "Salammbô", Gautier's "Le Roi Caundale", John Cleland's "Fanny Hill", Jean Baptiste Louvet de Couvray's "Adventures of the Chevalier de Faublas", Mario Uchard's "Mon Oncle Barbassou" (scenes in a harem), Jules Michelet's "The Madam", Hector France's "Musk, Hashish and Blood", the writings of Pietro Aretino, and the anonymous lesbian novel "Gamiani". His major work was designs for "" by the German scholar Friedrich Karl Forberg.

Gallery

References

External links

* [http://www.arterotismo.com/PaulAvril/index.htm Avril's Gallery of Classical Erotica]