MIKHÁLY ZICHY

Mihály Zichy (1827-1906) was a Hungarian Romantic painter.  Among his works were “Lifeboat”, “Autodafé”, “Drinking Bout of Henry III”, “The Victory of the Genius of Destruction” and “The Knight in the Panther’s Skin”.  He also painted portraits of Queen Elisabeth and Prime Minister Lajos Batthyány.  As well, he worked as an illustrator (The Tragedy of Man by Madách, and twenty-four ballads of János Arany); a retoucher; and an art teacher.  For Tsar Alexander II, he was a court artist.  Zichy traveled widely in Europe, though he spent most of his life in Paris and St. Petersburg.  Influenced by the politics of the era, he supported anticolonialism and antimilitarism.  He founded a society to support impoverished painters. 

Zichy drew numerous erotic sketches in ink.  They varied widely (foreplay, masturbation, cunnilingus, fellatio, mutual masturbation, intercourse).  His sketches are exquisite.  He captured lovers realistically, and he conveyed them with intensity and passion.  They look like they were partners in more than just their bodies.  He also created many lovely drawings of female nudes.