As previously mentioned, I haven't been able to focus on researching a complete erotic art show for this week. But I have the beginnings of shows I've been building and rather than hold off yet another week, I'm cheerfully declaring this Erotic Art Friday an example of Less Is More.

I began compiling this show some weeks ago, after seeing a cool mechanical toy on eBay that showed a satyr and his nymphy love.

One minute they're chatting...

The next they're....well, here you go...munch munch munch.

This inspired me to start googling for other examples of satyrs -- and, just to keep the representation fair and equal, for images of succubi. Though you don't have to read the complete Wiki entries to enjoy these bits of arts, you can check out their listing on the Satyr for an excellent illustrated history of the horny creature. Their constant erections inspired doctors to name a medical condition after them: satyriasis. Yeah. What happens if you take too much Viagra (or if you take the right dose but something goes very wrong).

Herewith, a very brief snip from Wiki about the mythological half-man, half-goat. What's not to love?

Satyrs are described as roguish but faint-hearted folk — subversive and dangerous, yet shy and cowardly. As Dionysiac creatures they are lovers of wine, women and boys, and are ready for every physical pleasure.

Satyr

Wiki's entry on the succubus is far less complete, but offers a good working definition:

In Western medieval legend, a succubus...is a demon, who takes the form of a beautiful woman to seduce men, especially monks, in dreams to have sexual intercourse.

Succubus

It was interesting to see how many contemporary images of satyrs and succubi abound on the Internet, with many pagan and anime interpretations of these mythological creatures to be easily found. I opted for more classical representations of them whenever possible but included a number of contemporary works (particularly for the succubi).

Most interesting is that while the succubus is traditionally a woman who visits men at night, virtually all the ones I found searching under "succubus" during my first research sweeps across the Internet yielded either an incubus (the male version of a succubus) or the sprawled naked body of a ravished woman. My next round of research was going to be an effort to root out more literal depictions of the myth (a beautiful woman and a ravished man). So the incomplete research leaves me with an open question: where are all the devouring demon babes raping men? Were depictions of succubi too horrific (or sinful?) for classical artists to treat?

My original plan was to split satyrs and succubi into separate categories and do full show on each but since I only got about half way, I'm clumping them together. I'll start with the succubi -- after the jump. And by the way if you think there is an SM-y edge to some of these--I think so too.

Succubus/Incubus

"Succubus" found on Deviant Art, by an artist named Borda.

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Satyrs

From contemporary artist Judy Fox (ca. 1999).

Matisse took an interesting perspective on the myth of the Satyr:

Finally, though listed as satyrs, since they have neither hooves nor permanent erections, these two classical sculptures appear to be fauns--very hot Roman fauns. The last sculpture is simply incredible.

I'd ravish him right now....

May 16, 2008 in Sex and Arts | Permalink

Your Comments

I'm used to seeing modern non-erotic images of said beings (or softcore ones which don't involve full frontal nudity). Such satyrs tend to be significantly more goatlike, with hairy legs, hooves for feet, and horns. Such succubi tend to be skinny, large-breasted women with horns and bat-wings (also often with sharp teeth). I remember seeing a semi-humorous image which included an incubus reading a book titled "how to pick up girls"!

Posted by: Nightfall at May 16, 2008 8:50:17 PM

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Well, on the cartooning front, the late Eldon Dedini used to paint some lovely cartoons for Playboy that featured Satyrs, nymphs and such. More can be seen in the recently published "Art of Eldon Dedini" book.

As to succubi, award-winning syndicated cartoonist Brooke McEldowney has an online comic strip called "Pibgorn", one of the main characters in a succubus.

Posted by: Nightheron2 at May 17, 2008 11:21:59 AM

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