{{short description|French sex museum in Paris}}[[File:Musee-de-l'erotisme.jpg|thumb|300px|Musée de l'érotisme, 72 [[boulevard de Clichy]] in the 18th [[arrondissement]]]]'''Museum of Eroticism''' (French: '''Musée de l'érotisme''') was a [[sex museum]] in [[Paris]] devoted to the [[erotic art]] collections of antique dealer Alain Plumey and French teacher Jo Khalifa. It opened on 8 November 1997,<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=Musee de l’Erotisme museum in Paris of Erotic Art - CLOSED |url=https://www.eutouring.com/musee_de_l_erotisme_museum.html |website=www.eutouring.com |access-date=30 April 2025}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> and closed its doors on November 7, 2016.<ref>{{cite web |title=After attaining adulthood, France’s only sex museum closes |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/france-erotic-museum-shut-after-18-years-4364549/ |website=The Indian Express |access-date=30 April 2025 |language=en |date=8 November 2016}}</ref>
== History == Founded in 1997, the museum was situated in the [[Quartier Pigalle|Pigalle]] district of Paris, at ''72 [[Boulevard de Clichy]]'', around 100m from the [[Moulin Rouge]].<ref name=":1" /><ref>« Le musée des plaisirs intimes », ''L'Express'', août 2000.</ref> The building was a former cabaret venue.<ref name=":0" /> The collection ranged from the ancient religious art of [[India]], [[Japan]] and [[Africa]] right up to [[contemporary art]] with an erotic focus. There were five floors, including a basement exhibition. One floor was devoted to the history of ''[[prostitution in France|maisons closes]]'', the legal brothels of the 19th and early 20th century.<ref>{{cite web |title=Museum of Eroticism |url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/museum-of-eroticism |website=Atlas Obscura |access-date=30 April 2025 |language=en}}</ref> The museum contained around 2000 exhibits.<ref name=":1">{{cite web |title=Museum of Eroticism, Paris, France {{!}} World Building Directory {{!}} Buildings |url=https://www.building.am/buildings-index/museum-of-eroticism-paris-france/ |website=www.building.am |access-date=30 April 2025}}</ref> Children under 16 were not allowed in the museum.<ref name=":1" />
The film ''[[The Good Old Naughty Days|Polisson et galipettes]]'' was shown; it is a collection of pornographic shorts formerly exhibited in the ''maisons closes''. The upper two floors had revolving exhibitions, mainly of contemporary artists.<ref name=":0" /> It was visited by the main character in the novel ''Merde Actually'', the sequel to ''[[A Year in the Merde]]''.<ref name="mp">[http://www.metropoleparis.com/2004/903/904life.html A Nice Mix of Art, History and Sex] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609200436/http://www.metropoleparis.com/2004/903/904life.html |date=2011-06-09 }}, ''Metropole Paris'', 16 January 2004</ref>
In 2013, erotic artist [[Namio Harukawa]] exhibited "Garden of Domina" at the museum, which featured art of [[Dominatrix|dominatrixes]] [[facesitting]] on [[BDSM|submissive]] males.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sexes.blogs.liberation.fr/2013/07/15/une-exposition-de-face-sitting-a-paris/|title=Une exposition de face-sitting à Paris|last=Giard|first=Agnès|publisher=Libération|date=15 July 2013|accessdate=20 Jul 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://next.liberation.fr/sexe/2013/07/16/fesses-en-pleine-face_918619|title=Fesses en pleine face|publisher=Libération|date=16 Jul 2013|accessdate=20 Jul 2018}}</ref>
After the owner of the building refused to renew the lease, the museum closed to the public on November 6, 2016, and the entire collection was auctioned off.<ref>{{Cite web |date=3 November 2016 |title=Paris perd son Musée de l'Erotisme: ses collections coquines aux enchères |url=https://www.lexpress.fr/culture/paris-perd-son-musee-de-l-erotisme-ses-collections-coquines-aux-encheres_1847106.html |access-date=9 November 2023 |website=L'Express |language=fr}}</ref>
== Gallery == <gallery> Paris 2014 Collections érotisme 02.jpg|Multiple objects related to sexuality with five pieces of pottery from ancient Greece Eroticmuseumparis1.jpg|A miniature erotic scene at the museum Eroticmuseumparis2.jpg|A [[phallic]] [[Wikt:carving|carving]] on display at The Erotic Museum, Paris File:Musée de l'érotisme-anciennes Photos.jpg|Erotic Photos </gallery>
== See also == * [[List of museums in Paris]] * [[List of sex museums]]
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == {{Commons category|Musée de l'érotisme}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20120803081949/http://www.musee-erotisme.com/en Museum website] {{Sex museums}} {{coord|48|53|1.2|N|2|20|1.5|E|type:landmark_region:FR|display=title}}
[[Category:Museums established in 1998]] [[Category:Museums in Paris]] [[Category:Sex museums]] [[Category:Buildings and structures in the 18th arrondissement of Paris]] [[Category:Prostitution in Paris]]