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Paul Delaroche,

The Young Martyr, 1853

My favorite thing about this picture is the little bunny running for its life ahead of the train. Its one of those little details that art historians like to argue about. Some think it means that modernity is threatening nature and others think it means nature always wins. In my opinion, both views fit with Turner’s love and fascination of the outdoors.

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Joseph Mallord William Turner

Rain, Steam and Speed, 1844

Géricault kept a private collection of his own erotic drawings. These works tend to charged with violence, athleticism, energy and frustration. Interestingly, they coincided with a difficult time in the artist’s life; a forbidden and intense love affair he had with Alexandrine-Modeste Caruel, his uncle’s wife who was Géricault’s senior by six years. The scandal came to a head in 1818 when Caruel gave birth to the artist’s son.

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Théodore Géricault

Man Embracing a Woman, c.1815-1818