The French artist Édouard-Henri Avril made a name for himself primarily as an illustrator of erotic and pornographic writings. However, in these cases he appeared under his pseudonym Paul Avril. Even today, the illustrator, born on 21 March 1849 in Algiers, is still considered the father of modern erotic literature.
Avril began his education between 1871 and 1873 with a study at the School of Fine Arts in Marseille, then he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris from 1874. Only four years later he exhibited his paintings in numerous salons in the city. But the starting signal for his actual career was a commission to illustrate the novel Fortunio by Théophile Gautiers. This was followed by various other engagements: From then on Avril repeatedly created works from the genre of the so-called gallant literature. However, his illustrations were not intended for a mass audience, but were rather aimed at a small circle of subscribers who were not deterred by the price of these lovingly designed special editions. Among his better known drawings are the illustrations in 'John Cleland's Fanny Hill, The Wife of Jules Michelets' or Mario Uchard's 'Reflections on Love in the Harem'.
Beyond that, however, Avril illustrated a large number of well-known novels and writings of his time, which had nothing to do with erotic literature. These include Gustave Flaubert's Salammbô, the writings of the French writer Octave Uzanne or - what is now his main work - De Figuris Veneris by Friedrich Karl Froberg.
The illustrator with the stage name Paul should not be confused with his brother Paul-Victor Avril, who from time to time made etchings from his brother's illustrations. The artist finally died on 28 July 1928 in Le Raincy in France.
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.jpg "I took Edmee in my arms, and quietly waded through the stream. Illustration for Mauprat by George Sand by Edouard-Henri Avril")
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.jpg "Dead, Dead! Said Patience, And There is the Murderer!. Illustration for Mauprat by George Sand by Edouard-Henri Avril")
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.jpg "In the Twinkling of an Eye All the Mauprats Were at the Portcullis. Illustration for Mauprat by George Sand by Edouard-Henri Avril")
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.jpg "I Found Him Standing There, His Hand Resting on a Corner of My Balcony by Edouard-Henri Avril")
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.jpg "I Looked Like a Flower Under My Sunshade Lined with White Silk by Edouard-Henri Avril")
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.jpg "I Saw Her Go into the Tuileries with Two Children by Edouard-Henri Avril")
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.jpg "The Young Girl Stopped Short and Dropped Her Eyes by Edouard-Henri Avril")
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.jpg "Clutching Fabrizio")
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.jpg "If she could have her will he would not have started at all by Edouard-Henri Avril")
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_Avril_-_Frontispice_of_The_veniel_sin_by_Honore_de_Balzac_Illustration_of_Paul_Avril_(18_-_(MeisterDrucke-1062844).jpg "Frontispiece of")
_Avril_-_Frontispice_of_The_veniel_sin_by_Honore_de_Balzac_Illustration_of_Paul_Avril_(18_-_(MeisterDrucke-1062844).jpg)
_Avril_-_Turning_in_his_chair_he_held_out_his_arms_to_our_hero_(colour_litho)_-_(MeisterDrucke-1066521).jpg "Turning in His Chair, He Held Out His Arms to Our Hero by Edouard-Henri Avril")
_Avril_-_Turning_in_his_chair_he_held_out_his_arms_to_our_hero_(colour_litho)_-_(MeisterDrucke-1066521).jpg)
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