On first entering the place, which proudly boasts seven floors of erotic art and artifacts, the visitor might get the impression that this will be a more academic trip than was previously expected. A display case of ancient art from India and the Americas depicting sexual figures stands as a testament, as if one were needed, of society’s long-standing obsession with the "s"-word. Turn a corner to find a kitschy, no-holds-barred contemporary sculpture featuring a sort of totem pole of three-dimensional female reproductive organs. The sight of these strange objects may bring you a smile, like this chair with a wheel of revolving tongues in the seat! But the highlight of the visit is definitely the museum’s third floor. This floor is more or less wholly devoted to French erotica and brothel life in the 19th and early-mid 20th centuries, a period when houses of prostitution were legal in France. It’s fascinating to see the photographs, advertisements, and other portrayals, including a series of monotypes by Degas and engravings by Felician Rops, of life behind their doors. It’s also neat to see just what was considered sexy and salacious during this era, and hundreds of early erotic photographs of nude and half-nude models cover the walls. Fans of Belle-Époque beauties should invest this place.

Another item of interest are the pornographic films that are playing on several floors. While contemporary ones aren’t normally featured, the intriguing draw at the Musée de l’Erotisme is the fact that there’s always at least one film on from the early 20th century. You’ll probably be moved to take a look at these old films out of curiosity, at first. And it’s true that, with their outdated clothes and often vaudevillian bawdiness, they’re definitely a testament to erotic thought and taste in a different epoch. The upper and underground floors of the museum are devoted to exhibitions of contemporary art. Though some of the exhibits can be interesting, and even sensuous, the general rule here seems to be kitsch more than anything else.

Yes, the Musée de l’Erotisme is indeed many things: intriguing, legitimate, overwhelming, tacky, explicit, or a big excuse to watch vintage porno’s. But maybe it’s this mix of impressions that’s the museum’s most convincing exhibit of all: proposing to be a study of the culture and art of sex, may causes visitors to reconsider their thoughts and feelings about intercourse and erotica. In this way, the museum’s final trick may just end up being the way it can leave you as naked as the people in the paintings and photos on its walls.