FÉLICIEN ROPS (1833-1898). Etching, La sphère de la lune, 1881.

16.5 x 11 cm (sheet dimensions), 15.5 x 10 cm (plate dimensions). Unsigned. In passepartout.
Rops is mainly known to posterity for his skilfully executed erotic etchings and closely associated with the symbolism and decadence that characterized the last decades of the 19th century. He created a typically "rapist" nude image, which was accused by many of being lightly refined pornography, but which can also be seen as an unmasking of the hypocrisy and hidden desires of the surrounding society.