Mutual masturbation for International Masturbation Day

Well, there isn't such a thing as mutual masturbation, of course, but these two nineteenth century ladies seem happy enough.  Today it is hot and sunny in the South East of England so I am going over to my particular friend Angela's house for skinny dipping with her and her girlfriend, J.  The plan is that we all then perform for each other, in celebration!

I Modi 2: Alcibiade et Glycere after Agostino Carracci and Giulio Romano

Here is the second engraving from the book of erotic sonnets I Modi, published in 1520.  As I noted in my post on the first of these, they were based on paintings by Giulio Romano, as engraved by Marcantonio Raimondi then reconstructed by Agostino Carracci and reworked by Jacques Joseph Coiny in 1798.

The other engravings in the series all relate to legendary or historical lovers but while Alcibiade was an Athenian statesman and general in the fifth century BC, Glycere was a Greek courtesan in the fourth century BC.  Their depiction as a couple is, therefore, pure fantasy with no mythical or historical precedent.  It is merely an excuse to show an athletic man leaping into the breach of a rather surprised looking woman.