Is it me or is Paris flaunting its naughty side this fall? The Fragonard Amoureux: Galant et Libertin (Fragonard in Love: Suitor and Libertine) exhibit at the Musée du Luxembourg displays the discreetly erotic works of this illustrious 18th-century French master, including the famous Rococo painting, The Swing. Open daily through January 24, reserved time/date entry €13.50, or open skip–the-line ticket for €20.
You may find yourself both titillated and turned-off by the Musée d’Orsay‘s popular exhibit Splendeurs et Misères: Images de la Prostitution 1850-1910 (Splendor and Misery: Pictures of Prostitution 1850-1910), showcasing how painters like Manet, Degas, Picasso and Toulouse-Lautrec portrayed the fantasy world of the Belle Epoch brothels with its glamorous demi-mondes, as well as the sordid reality of the Absinthe-riddled street walkers. Open daily except Monday through January 17, entry €11 (combined passes available for the Orangerie or Rodin Museum).
The erotic art gallery Au Bonheur du Jour is hosting Maisons Closes et Prostitution (Bordellos and Prostitution), an exhibition and sale of period photographs and rare objects from the infamous Belle Epoch luxury brothel, “Le Chabanais”. Exhibition open Tues-Sat 2:30-7:30pm through November 14, free entry (ring the bell).
For French literature fans, next month the Maison Victor Hugo at the Place des Vosges is hosting the exhibition Hugo Eros: Entre Pudeur et Excès (Hugo Eros: Between Modesty and Excess), exploring the author’s use of both in his novels, from the chaste Cosette in Les Miserables to the passions unleashed in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Includes statues, photos and artworks by Rodin, Pradier, Corot, Courbet, Ingres, Delacroix and other great artists of the 19th-century French Romantic era. November 19 through February 21, open daily except Monday, entry €5-7, audio guide in English available for €5.
If you’d like to participate in a little naughtiness of your own, join the ladies-only Sex & Booze: Erotic Book Club on October 20th (8pm), hosted by the private cocktail club, The Chamber. I’ll be moderating a discussion about Best Women’s Erotica over fabulous cocktails, wine, and plenty of French cheese. Limited guest list, tickets €25 (Chamber members) or €45 (non-members; get €10 off with the discount code: naughtyparis).
You can find out more about all of the female-friendly naughty adventures Paris has to offer in my book, Naughty Paris: A Lady’s Guide to the Sexy City, available in eBook or print format (makes a great gift!)
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