I Modi

These nine fragments cut from seven engravings[1] are thought to be by Agostino Veneziano. [1] They are thought to come from a replacement set of engravings created for the images that were in I modi.[1] Paper. British Museum, London. Around 1530 [2]

The first edition of I modi was created in a collaboration between Giulio Romano and Marcantonio Raimondi.[3]

One idea is that this collaboration occurred when Giulio Romano was doing a series of erotic paintings as a commission for Federico II Gonzaga’s new Palazzo Te in Mantua and Marcantonio Raimondi based the engravings for I modi on these paintings.[5]

The engravings were published by Marcantonio in 1524, and led to his imprisonment by Pope Clement VII and the destruction of all copies of the engravings.

Giulio Romano did not become aware of the engravings by Marcantonio until the poet Pietro Aretino came to see his paintings. These are the paintings that Marcantonio is thought to have based his engravings on and Romano was still working on these paintings when Aretino came to visit. Romano was not prosecuted since—unlike Marcantonio—his images were not intended for public consumption, and he was not in the Papal States.

Aretino then composed sixteen explicit sonnets to accompany the engravings, and secured Marcantonio's release from prison.[6]

I modi was then published a second time in 1527, now with the sonnets that have given them the traditional English title Aretino's Postures. It is thought that this is the first time erotic text and images were combined, though the papacy once more seized all the copies it could find. It is thought Marcantonio escaped prison on this second occasion, but the suppression on both occasions was comprehensive.

There are presently no remaining copies of the first or second edition of I modi.[1]The images that were in these two editions of I modi are thought to have been copied several times.[1][7]

It is thought that Agostino Veneziano may have created a single replacement set of engravings for the images created by Giulio and Marcantonio in I modi.[1] There is one whole image and nine fragments cut from seven engravings that are in the British Museum and it is thought that all of these images come from this replacement set of engravings by Agostino.[1] These engravings by Agostino are dated to around 1530.[2]

There is an engraving of Leda and the Swan in the British Museum that is thought to be by Agostino Veneziano and it is thought to have been created in around 1524 to 1527.[7] It is speculated that this engraving has been based on an engraving from "I modi" by Giulio and Marcantonio.[7]The engraving is the same size and format as the "I modi" engravings[7] and it is speculated that it may be based on a design by Giulio Romano.[8][7]

It is thought that as well as Agostino Veneziano there were other people who contributed to the creation of this replacement set of engravings.[1]

Woodcut booklet copy - Around 1555

A possibly infringing[9] copy of I modi with crude illustrations created using woodcut relief printing was created around 1555.[1][10][11]

This woodcut booklet was bound in with some contemporary texts[1] and was discovered in the 1920s. The artist who created the woodcut prints in the booklet is unknown.[1]

It is thought that this wooduct booklet is "...several generations removed from the original engravings..."[1] of Marcantonio. It is thought that these generations of I modi copies have been based on the Agostino Veneziano edition of I modi.[1]

It has been speculated that this woodcut booklet from around 1555 may have been copied from a second woodcut copy of I modi that is speculated to have been created around 1540. [12]

It is thought the woodblocks that were used to print the woodcut booklet may have been reused multiple times.[12] The images have borders that were frequently broken indicating wear and breakage in the woodblocks.[12]

One of the leaves is missing from this woodcut booklet[2] and there were I modi related images on these leaf.[1]

This woodcut booklet shows that there were more images in Giulio and Marcantonio's edition of "I modi" than is shown by the nine remaining fragments and the one whole image that are thought to be by Agostino Veneziano.[1]

It has been described that for this woodcut booklet there are two images "...in the abbreviated final signature...[that] seem to come from different traditions."[1] For one of these two images it has been commented that "...both image and text differ markedly in style from those that precede them..." in the woodcut booklet.[13]

When the images in the woodcut booklet are compared to the engravings thought to be by Agostino it is thought they have been changed to suit the woodcut medium with the images being square and reduced in size.[2]

Engraving in the Albertina Museum - 16th century

There is one engraving in the Albertina museum[14][1] that is thought to have been copied from Agostino Veneziano's edition of "I modi".[1] It matches an oval fragment in the British museum[1] and the 11th image in the woodcut booklet.

It is thought that this single engraving comes from a set of engravings[1] and only this one engraving presently remains from this set.[1]

It is dated to the 16th century and the artist is unknown.[14] It is numbered in the bottom right corner with two.[1]

Francesco Xanto Avelli Maiolica dish

It is thought that between 1531 and 1535 Francesco Xanto Avelli saw Agostino Veneziano's copy of I modi.[1] Xanto painted a maiolica dish titled The Tiber in Flood and the figures on this dish have the same postures as those in four of the images in the woodcut booklet.[1]

Parmigianino drawing

Parmigianino drew a copy of one of the engravings in the "I modi" with sex occurring between two figures who are seated. This drawing is similar to the 10th image in the woodcut booklet.[7] It includes similar postures of the figures and details of drapery and furniture.[7]

Engraving in the National Library of Spain

An engraving in the National Library of Spain copies one scene from the "I modi".[15] The engraving shows two figures seated having sex with a wooden cradle lying on the ground next to them and the foot of one of the figures is rocking the cradle.[15]

This image of two people seated having sex is by an unknown artist and dated to after 1530.[15]

Henry Wellesley engravings

Henry Wellesley owned two engravings that they are now in the collection of the National Library of France[1] and both engravings are related to I modi images.[1] One engraving was similar to the whole single image in the British Museum and was numbered and the other engraving was similar to the image in the Albertina Museum and was numbered two.[1]

Delaborde and Bartsch descriptions

Henri Delaborde and Adam Bartsch gave descriptions of images as belonging to the "I modi".[1] The descriptions that they gave do not relate to any existing images and perhaps are examples of additional images that may have been in the original "I modi".[1]

The Fossombrone sketchbook has drawings of two scenes where the figures have a similar position to the image in the woodcut booklet numbered 16.[16] Differences between these drawings and the woodcut booklet image include differences between the figures and the furniture.[16]

In the 17th century Fellows of All Souls College, Oxford, engaged in the surreptitious printing at the University Press of Aretino's Postures, Aretino's De omnis Veneris schematibus and the indecent engravings after Giulio and Marcantonio. The Dean, Dr. John Fell, impounded the copper plates and threatened those involved with expulsion.[17] The text of Aretino's sonnets, however, survives.

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  Image 1 woodcut booklet
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  The corresponding image by Agostino Veneziano.

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  Image 2 woodcut booklet
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  Corresponding fragment to image 2 thought to be by Agostino Veneziano

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  Image 3 woodcut booklet

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  Image 4 woodcut booklet
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  Corresponding fragment to image 4 thought to be by Agostino Veneziano . Two fragments cut from the one engraving.
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  Corresponding fragment to image 4 thought to be by Agostino Veneziano

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  Image 7 woodcut booklet
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  Corresponding fragment to image 7 thought to be by Agostino Veneziano

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  Image 8 woodcut booklet

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  Image 9 woodcut booklet
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  Corresponding fragment to image 9 thought to be by Agostino Veneziano
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  This image is made from two images. One is the image from the woodcut booklet. The second is the engraving thought to be by Agostino Veneziano.[7]

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  Image 10 woodcut booklet
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  Corresponding fragment to image 10 thought to be by Agostino Veneziano
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  A drawing that copies image 10 by Parmigianino.[7] Pen and brown ink on Paper, trimmed. 1524 - 1527[7]
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  A second drawing by Parmigianino with similarities to image 10.[7] Pen, ink on paper. 1524 - 1527[7]

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  Image 11 woodcut booklet
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  Corresponding fragment to image 11 thought to be by Agostino Veneziano
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  Anonymous engraving, Albertina Museum, 16th century
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  This image has been made from two engravings. The first engraving is from the Albertina museum and the second is thought to be by Agostino Veneziano.[7]

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  Image 12 woodcut booklet
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  Image 13 woodcut booklet
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  Image 14 woodcut booklet

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  Image 15 woodcut booklet. It has been described that for this woodcut booklet there are two images "...in the abbreviated final signature...[that] seem to come from different traditions."[1] For the image with the standing figure it has been commented that "...both image and text differ markedly in style from those that precede them" in the woodcut booklet.[13]
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  Image 16 woodcut booklet. In the Fossombrone sketchbook there are drawings of two scenes that have a similar position to this image from the woodcut booklet.[16]

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  Two fragments cut from the one engraving. These fragments not present in the woodcut booklet. Both fragments are thought to be by Agostino Veneziano.
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  This engraving of Leda and the swan is not present in the woodcut booklet. It is thought to be by Agostino Veneziano.[7] It is speculated that this image is based on an image that was in the Giulio and Marcantonio edition of "I modi".1524 - 1527?[7]

Annibale's Loves of the Gods

A new series of graphic and explicit engravings of sexual positions was produced by Camillo Procaccini[18] or more likely by Agostino Carracci for a later reprint of Aretino's poems.[19]

Erotic frescos of Annibale Carracci

Annibale Carracci also completed the elaborate fresco the Loves of the Gods for the Palazzo Farnese in Rome (where the Farnese Hercules which influenced both him and Agostino Carraci was housed). These images were drawn from Ovid's Metamorphoses and include nudes, but (in contrast to the sexual engravings) are not explicit, intimating rather than directly depicting the act of lovemaking.

In 1798 in Paris a collection of engravings of sexual scenes were published under the title Augustine Carracci's The Aretin or Collection of Erotic Postures.[20][21][22] The engravings were created by Jacques Joseph Coiny.

One theory is that these images were basd on the erotic poses in 'The Loves of the Gods' which was created at the start of the 17th century in Antwerp by Pieter de Jode I with the use of burin. [23] It presently remains uncertain what images these engravings were based on. It is thought that Coiny had a set of six anonymous prints and it is difficult to say which prints these were.[24]

Engravings from Augustine Carracci's The Aretin or Collection of Erotic Postures

The images in the table below are the engravings from Augustine Carracci's The Aretin or Collection of Erotic Postures.[20]

These engravings have inspired the creation of erotic art from other artists including Paul Avril.[35]

Image	No.	Title (English translation)	Male partner	Female partner	Sexual position	Notes
	1	Venus Genetrix	-	Venus Genetrix	Female figure study of nude in frontal disposition	-
	2	Paris and Oenone	Paris	Oenone	Side-by-side, man on top
	3	Angelique and Medor	Medor	Angelique	Reverse cowgirl	Characters from Roland
	4	The satyr and the nymph	Satyr	Nymph	Missionary position (man on top and standing, woman lying)
	5	Julia with an athlete	An athlete	Julia the Elder	Reverse cowgirl (woman standing)	Woman guiding in penis
	6	Hercules and Deianaira	Hercules	Deianira	Standing missionary (woman supported by man)
	7	Mars and Venus	Mars	Venus	Missionary (woman on top[36])
	8	The Cult of Priapus	Pan, or a male satyr	A female satyr	Missionary (male standing, woman sitting)	Statue of Priapus with characteristically disproportionate erection
	9	Antony and Cleopatra	Mark Antony	Cleopatra	Side-by-side missionary	Woman guiding in penis
	10	Bacchus and Ariadne	Bacchus	Ariadne	Leapfrog - woman entirely supported	Woman's legs up not kneeling as usual in this position
	11	Polyenos and Chriseis	Polyenos (fictional)	Chryseis	Missionary (man on top and standing, woman lying)
	12	A satyr and his wife	Male satyr	Female satyr	Missionary (man standing, woman sitting)
	13	Jupiter and Juno	Jupiter	Juno	Standing (man standing/kneeling, woman supported [37])
	14	Messalina in the booth of 'Lisica'	Brothel client	Messalina	Missionary (female lying, male standing)
	15	Achilles and Briseis	Achilles	Briseis	Standing (man entirely supporting woman)
	16	Ovid and Corinna	Ovid	Corinna	Missionary (man on top, woman guiding erect penis into her vagina)	Woman deepening penetration by having her legs outside his.
	17	Aeneas and Dido [accompanied by a Cupid]	Aeneas	Dido	Fingering with left hand index finger (thus little nudity relative to other images)	Lesser nudity, though wet T-shirt effect round breasts; Cupid is erect
	18	Alcibiades and Glycera	Alcibiades	Glycera	Missionary (man on top and standing, woman lying and legs up)	Man also raised up to right level for vagina by right foot on step
	19	Pandora	?Epimetheus (crowned figure)	Pandora	Side by side	The boy with the candle may be a classical reference.[38]

The Restoration closet drama Farce of Sodom is set in "an antechamber hung with Aretine's postures."

Talvacchia, Bette "Taking Positions: On the Erotic in Renaissance Culture" Princeton University Press 1999 Page: 250 ISBN 978-0691026329

Media related to I modi at Wikimedia Commons

• Selection of images in various versions