Three Couples Having Sex

Explicit erotic imagery was disseminated through lithography, a modern printmaking technique that enabled wider diffusion through a larger print run. However, the careful hand-colouring of these prints, which resemble drawings, sets them apart from most massproduced series. The third print harks back to the 18th century, as shown by the couple’s attire and the novel at their feet, a libertine romance published in 1787.