Rembrandt: Erotic Secrets

Long dismissed as dirty little secrets, Rembrandt’s erotic etchings have been known to collectors for centuries but rarely seen by the public. In 2001, the British Museum exhibited several of the prints. Now, the World Erotic Art Museum in Miami Beach is showing the entire collection together- 20 etchings- for the first time.

Rembrandt depicts sexual encounters in a suggestive but unambiguous way in works like “The Ledikant” (1646), which portrays a couple making love.

By today’s standards, the etchings — inspired by the Bible, Greek mythology, and everyday life — seem tame. But in Rembrandt’s time, they were scandalous and closely guarded by those who owned them. By featuring work by a renowned artist like Rembrandt (1609-69), the museum’s owner, Naomi Wilzig, said she hoped to “elevate our position within the artistic community” and prove that “erotic doesn’t mean pornographic.”