Alex Varenne: The Libertine French Master of Erotic Art

The article examines the double standard in contemporary art criticism regarding eroticism, where works by female and homosexual artists are celebrated as liberating, while heterosexual male artists are often dismissed as macho. It argues that this bias is influenced by sociocultural trends and may be as unjust as past prejudices. Historically, erotic art has been dominated by the male gaze, with female nudes vastly outnumbering male ones. The piece then profiles French artist Alex Varenne (born 1939), a heterosexual libertine who has dedicated his career to erotic depictions of the female body. Starting as a plastic arts teacher, he turned to erotic art in his forties, creating explicit bande dessinée, illustrations for libertine novels and magazines like Playboy and Penthouse, paintings, serigraphs, and digital surrealist collages that modify classical paintings. His characters include Erma Jaguar (1988–1992) in L'Écho des Savanes. His collections include titles like Erotic Opera, Corps à corps, and Le goût des femmes. His interview collection is titled Itinéraire d'un libertin. The article questions whether society can forgive such unapologetic heterosexual eroticism.