So, these lithographs are a DOV favorite. They're colorful and entirely good-natured despite being pretty damn explicit, as you know not always an easy combination due to Western hang-ups about sex. I also appreciate some of the acrobatic creativity and that the artist obviously hews to the Sir Mix-A-Lot perspective on female aesthetics.

They're commonly attributed, even in well-researched published compilations, to Austrian artist Peter Fendi who was active in the early 1800s. But it's always bothered me that they bear little-to-no resemblance to any of Fendi's other work, which was usually far more detailed and with entirely different subject matter.

After doing a little more digging it turns out these erotic pieces were first published in 1910, well after the real Fendi's 1842 death, and experts familiar with his work have universally dismissed them as being by someone else.

So we'll have to go with Unknown Artist for now, and probably forever. It's a good reminder that the sub rosa world of classic erotic art is full of anonymity and misattributions, sometimes despite all our detective work the answer's going to be elusive.

Still, they're pretty great pieces. Enjoy!