The Graceful Mistresses of the French BDSM Artist Bernard Montorgueil

03 februari 2021

Helpless men chained to various instruments of torture humiliated by bossy mistresses wearing leather boots and intimidating outfits. In Bernard Montorgueil’s world it is clear who is calling the shots. But, although the men are enslaved by admittedly haughty women they are neither wrestlers nor giants with aggressive charms, nor monsters of uncertain sex. Here, it is before gentleness that virility succumbs, it is grace more than violence that makes humiliation sensual.

Best Erotic Illustrators

Montorgueil’s work is considered by many BDSM art critics to be one of the most delicate portrayals of male masochism in European BDSM art, and the artist himself as one of the best erotic illustrators of the first half of the 20th century.

Clandestinely

Unfortunately little is known about the background of this French BDSM and spanking artist. Montorgueil (which is a pseudonym) produced his drawings in the interbellum, between 1920-1940, but began rotating clandestinely in the 1950s. He did the illustrations for several books including the notorious Venus in Furs.

Colorized

A lot of his kinky designs, which predominantly cover femdom-malesub themes, have been reproduced over time with astonishing fidelity. Some editions are in black and white, whereas other editions are colorized (in watercolors). The following ones fall mainly into the latter category (although occasionally a black and white version is included for comparison)…

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Fig.2. ‘Dressage‘ (1930)

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Fig.5. Les quatre jeudis (1930)

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Fig.14. Les quatre jeudis (1930)

Fig.15. Les quatre jeudis (1930)

Fig.16. ‘Dressage‘ (1930)

Fig.17. ‘Dressage‘ (1930)

Fig.18. ‘Dressage‘ (1930)

Fig.19. ‘Dressage‘ (1930)

Fig.20. Les quatre jeudis (1930)

Fig.20a. Rare preliminary drawing of the previous illustration (Source: VintageFetishArt.com)

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Fig.25. Les quatre jeudis (1930)

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The last eleven illustrations are from the book ‘Barbara: Les jardins des délices et des Supplices (Barbara: The gardens of delights and torments)’(1936)…

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Fig.29a.

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Sources: VintageFetishArt.com, Bol.com

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