Sex in the Cities. Volume 1. Amsterdam. Hans-Jürgen Döpp

Amsterdam is not only famous for its canals, nor for its impressive collections of paintings by Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Van Gogh, but also for its museum dedicated to Venus, which welcomes more than 500,000 visitors per year. Travelers come from the world over, rushing to enter this unusual building next to the train station, called “The Temple of Venus”. Gathered since 1985 by Monique Van Marle and her father, this collection of erotic art work is exceptional in the quality of the objects, prints, and very old photographs. Disregarding voyeurism, this museum aims to be a privileged place exhibiting eroticism’s artistic history. The author leads us on a guided tour, supported by a rich and varied iconography.