A collection of visual vintage artworks exploring BDSM and fetish themes. More to find on Vintage Bdsm Art
The term “cuckold” might sound like a relic of a bygone era, but its legacy lingers in art, literature, and even modern slang. Historically, a cuckold was a man whose wife was unfaithful, often mocked with the symbolic imagery of horns sprouting from his head. From Renaissance theater to 18th-century sketches, cuckoldry has been a source of satire, comedy, and cultural fascination. But where did … Continue reading Cuckold
Orientalism and BDSM: A Fusion of Fantasy and Power In art history, literature, and cultural studies, Orientalism describes how Western writers, designers, and artists imitated or depicted aspects of the ‘Eastern’ world—spanning the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia. This lens was steeped in romance and mysticism, projecting power, sensuality, and exoticism onto these cultures. Edward Saïd’s groundbreaking book Orientalism (1978) revealed how this Western … Continue reading Mystical Power Plays
The 1877 engraving “Warua Slave-Driver and Slave” from Across Africa portrays a slave-driver with a spear leading a bound slave across a sparse landscape, their minimal attire,loincloths and a headscarf, highlighted by detailed linework. It was published in the book Across Africa in 1877. A book by Verney Lovett Cameron (1844 – 1894) who was an English traveller in Central Africa and the first European to cross (1875) equatorial Africa from sea to … Continue reading Perceptions Diverge
Thomas Rowlandson ( July 1757 –1827) was an English artist and caricaturist of the Georgian Era, noted for his political satire and social observation. Rowlandson was a prolific artist and printmaker. He produced both individual social and political satires. He also created a large number of illustrations for novels, humorous books, and topographical works. Like other caricaturists of his age such as James Gillray, his … Continue reading Rowlandson’s Satire
Cornelius Adriaensen (1521 – 1581) was a 16th-century Dutch Franciscan priest. He was born at Dordrecht and joined the order of “Frères Mineurs”.Adriaensen moved to Bruges (West Flanders, today in Belgium) where he founded a secret order among the women of Bruges, who were persuaded to meet him in secret, undress, and be chastised for their sins. The order was eventually betrayed to the local … Continue reading A Secret Spanking Order
James Gillray (1756–1815) was a British caricaturist and printmaker, widely regarded as the father of the political cartoon. Born in Chelsea, London, he trained at the Royal Academy Schools and initially worked as an engraver before finding his calling in satirical prints. His sharp-witted, often provocative etchings targeted political figures, royalty, and social mores of late 18th- and early 19th-century Britain, blending grotesque humor with … Continue reading James Gilray
This artwork, created by Albert Guillaume in 1905, is a striking example of early 20th-century French illustration, known for its bold and suggestive themes. Titled “Avant les Trois” (“Before the Three”), it features a provocative scene with nude figures, blending humor and satire, which was characteristic of Guillaume’s style. The piece reflects the artistic freedom and social commentary prevalent in Parisian art circles at the … Continue reading Bading Time
Elisàr August Emanuel von Kupffer (1872–1942), the Baltic-German painter-poet who signed as Elisarion, wove BDSM motifs into a utopian philosophy he called Clarism—a celebration of male beauty, spiritual transcendence, and sacred dominance. His androgynous ephebes, bound in silken cords or kneeling before radiant masters, pulse with Symbolist ecstasy rather than mere punishment. he whip is the scepter of the soul that awakens the sleeping god … Continue reading Elisàr August Emanuel von Kupffer
Amateur drawing from the pre-war collection of the Viennese Institute for Sexual Research. The collection of this institute (and the older institute in Berlin founded by Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld) was destroyed during WWII German textDienst auf dem WC: Während die Herrin ihr Bedürfnis verrichtet, liegt der Sklave ausgestreckt auf dem Boden. Ist die Herrin fertig, so erhebt sie sich, macht einige Schritte vorwärts und beugt … Continue reading Amateur Fantasy Drawing
Feodor Stepanovich Rojankovsky (1891–1970), who signed his erotic work simply as Rojan, fled Bolshevik Russia to become one of the 1930s Paris underground’s most prolific fetish illustrators. With a bold, almost cartoonish line and saturated gouache hues, he turned flagellation, petticoat discipline, and nursery domination into playful, high-society satire. A rosy bottom is the only honest blush left in modern Paris Rojan, caption beneath a … Continue reading Feodor Stepanovich “Rojan” Rojankovsky
