Copulation Collection (#2)

The censure (colour litho)
8656538 The censure (colour litho) by French School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: La Censure. The censure. Couple embracing behind a fig leaf)

Couple in a gallery with nude sculptures of women (colour litho)
8656801 Couple in a gallery with nude sculptures of women (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Couple in a gallery with nude sculptures of women)

Maid and a flea (colour litho)
8655949 Maid and a flea (colour litho) by French School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Maid and a flea. Postcard, early 20th century.); © Look and Learn

View of a mockery of cheaters on a square in Venice, 1759-c.1796. Creators: Louis-Joseph Mondhare, Anon
View of a mockery of cheaters on a square in Venice, 1759-c.1796. Three figures ride donkeys

May: A Hunt, published 1599. Creator: Antonio Tempesta
May: A Hunt, published 1599. From The Twelve Months I, pl. 5

Mandarin duck (Aix galericulata) pair mating on lake. Shanghai Zoo, China

Black-necked stilts (Himantopus mexicanus) pair performing post-copulatory display (as copulation ends, the male slides off the female leaving his wings draped over her)

White stork (Ciconia ciconia) pair mating on their nest at sunset, Knepp estate, Sussex, UK, April 2019. This is the first recorded instance of White storks nesting in the UK for several hundreds of

European praying mantis female eats male after mating. Spain {Mantis religiosa} Sequence 2 of 3

Greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) pair mating, in lagoon, Pont Du Gau, Camargue, France, April 2009

Common goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) male performing its mating display. Southern Norway. March

Espanola saddelback tortoise (Chelonoidis hoodensis) pair mating, Espanola Island, Galapagos

Colorado river toad (Incilius alvarius) pair mating. Sonoran desert, Arizona, USA. August

Scarab beetle (Scarabaeoidea) pair mating inside Tulip (Tulipa micheliana) flower. Beetles covered in pollen. Uzbekistan, April

Bumblebee scarab (Amphicoma vulpes) pair mating in Tulip (Tulipa armena) flower. Pollen picked up on beetles and transferred to other flowers. Near Karabel Pass, Turkey. May

Seven spot ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata) pair mating on Mayweed (Anthemis sp) flower. Cyprus. April

Iolas blue butterfly (Iolana iolas) pair mating, Aosta Valley, Gran Paradiso National Park, Italy

Iolas blue butterfly (Iolana iolas) pair mating on flowers, Aosta Valley, Gran Paradiso National Park, Italy

Nudibranchs mating (Polycera faeroensis) Sark, British Channel Islands, July

European bee eaters (Merops apiaster) mating, Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, El Bosque, southern Spain, May

Underwater view of Toads (Bufo bufo) and toadspawn in lake, Ain, Alps, France

Skeleton shrimp (Caprella septentrionalis) mating Novaya Zemlya, Russian Arctic, July

A Passionate Embrace, which fades out just as things are getting interesting... Date: circa 1910s

Eurasian dotterel (Charadrius morinellus) pair mating in breeding habitat on upland plateau of Grampian mountains, Cairngorms NP, Scotland, UK, May 2011

Common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) pair in mating ritual, Atlantic ocean, Portugal, July

Woodcock orchid (Ophrys cornuta / scolopax) with mating Black veined white butterflies
Woodcock orchid (Ophrys cornuta/scolopax) with mating Black veined white butterflies (Aporia crataegi), Bela Reka, Eastern Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria, May 2013

Strawberry poison frog (Oophaga pumilio) pair mating, Sarapiqui, Heredia, Costa Rica

Yellow-flecked glassfrogs (Sachatamia albomaculata) mating pair, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

Emerald damselflies (Lestes sponsa) mating, with male above. Peak District National Park, Derbyshire, UK. September

Greater flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus) mating, in lagoon, Pont Du Gau, Camargue, France, April 2009

Common toads (Bufo bufo) in mating ball underwater, Belgium, March

Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly (Battus philenor) pair mating. Sinton, Corpus Christi, Coastal Bend, Texas, USA, June

Leda of the "Naples Uffizi" type, 1st/2nd century AD (marble)
7146253 Leda of the "Naples Uffizi" type, 1st/2nd century AD (marble) by Roman, (2nd century); Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence, Tuscany

Pair of Broadclub cuttlefish (Sepia latimanus) mating in a coral reef, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Having succeeded in gaining the female's acceptance

Leda and the swan, late 2nd century AD (marble)
7146648 Leda and the swan, late 2nd century AD (marble) by Roman, (2nd century); Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence, Tuscany, Italy; (add.info.: Leda and the swan, late 2nd century AD, roman art)

Le tentazioni di santo Antonio, 1878, Domenico Morelli (painting)
7063003 Le tentazioni di santo Antonio, 1878, Domenico Morelli (painting) by Morelli, Domenico (1826-1901); Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Rome, Lazio

Fosa (Cryptoprocta ferox) pair, mating in forest canopy, Zombitse-Vohibasia National Park, central south western Madagascar

Pair of Red mason bees (Osmia bicornis) mating on wallflower in garden. Hertfordshire, England, UK. May. Focus Stacked

Ganymede and the eagle, 1st/2nd century AD (marble)
7146679 Ganymede and the eagle, 1st/2nd century AD (marble) by Roman, (2nd century); Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence, Tuscany, Italy; (add.info.: Ganymede and the eagle, 1st/2nd century AD)

Charger, c. 1750 (porcelain)
XOS5878252 Charger, c. 1750 (porcelain) by Chinese School (18th century); Cleveland Museum of Art, OH, USA; (add.info.: China, Chinese Export)

Woman being fitted for protective armour against unwanted advances (coloured engraving)
7186225 Woman being fitted for protective armour against unwanted advances (coloured engraving) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

The End of Lust (pen and ink)
7186252 The End of Lust (pen and ink) by Vogel, Hugo (1855-1934) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: The End of Lust)

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"Copulation: A Fascinating Display of Animal Mating Rituals Across the Globe" From the majestic Red Deer in Jaegersborg, Copenhagen, Denmark to the enchanting Mandarin ducks at Shanghai Zoo, China, a natural phenomenon that occurs in various species. Whether it's the captivating mating rituals of Marginated Tortoises or the intricate dance of Nudibranchs, these creatures showcase their primal instincts. In Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, Moor Frogs gather by the Middle Elbe to engage in an elaborate courtship ritual before copulating. Meanwhile, Black-necked stilts perform a mesmerizing post-copulatory display after their union. At Knepp estate in Sussex, White storks mate on their nest against a breathtaking sunset backdrop. However, not all encounters end harmoniously. The European praying mantis female devours her partner after mating—a stark reminder that nature can be both beautiful and brutal. In Pont Du Gau's lagoon within Camargue region lies another spectacle as Greater flamingos come together for an elegant mating session. Even birds like Common goldeneyes from Southern Norway participate in elaborate displays to attract mates. Their vibrant plumage and intricate movements create a stunning visual experience for observers. Beyond animals' realm lies Leda of "Naples Uffizi" type sculpture dating back to 1st/2nd century AD—an artistic representation of human copulation captured forever in marble. Whether it's bed bugs under SEM or creatures found across continents engaging in intimate acts—copulation serves as a testament to life's perpetuation and diversity across our planet.