Erotic Postcards

Erotica has always tip-toed the fine line between art and desire, tantalizing audiences with tasteful touches of sensuality— leaving it up for the viewer’s imagination. Before, eroticism was found in an exposed shoulder in a classical painting, on the pages of scandalous novels, and even in words written in letters exchanged between lovers. There was a whirlwind of anticipation and mystery that made the experience of desire, at its core, deeply personal, emotional, and all-consuming. Erotic postcards, especially during the early 20th century, captured this balance beautifully. They offered a glimpse of sensuality while remaining tasteful, allowing the viewer’s imagination to run wild.

Erotic postcards served not only as visual expressions of desire but also as tokens of affection, exchanged between lovers in a time that still held a certain taboo surrounding sensuality. The images weren’t explicit but left much to the imagination, using poses, lighting, and composition for a more alluring final product. These postcards, often paired with handwritten notes, were chock full of personal expression, making the exchange more than one of lust. They were small, physical totems of intimacy, connecting two people through something sacred to only them.

With the emergence of digital media, the landscape of erotica has shifted dramatically. The change from tangible, personal exchanges to instantly accessible digital content has led to the loss of romance that once defined erotic communication. What was once carefully chosen or penned for a specific person is now both mass-produced and consumed at the touch of a button. The emotional investment and sentimentality has almost entirely disappeared.

In contrast to today’s digital pornography, which often emphasizes immediacy and explicitness, erotic postcards were slow, deliberate, and intimate. Their allure was not only in what they showed but in what they concealed, leaving space for the viewer to fully engage. This allowed for a connection that was as much about the slow burn as it was about physical desire.

The challenge for modern artists is to reclaim the emotional depth of erotica. By looking back at the romanticism and intimacy of erotic postcards and other forms of physical erotica, we can create work that emphasizes connection over consumption. In a world dominated by fast, explicit content, there is still a space for erotica that invites reflection, vulnerability, and personal meaning—reminding us that desire is as much about the heart as it is about the body.