A Russian émigré and long-time New Yorker, Fyodor Pavlov creates work that brings new life to earlier styles of erotic art for contemporary audiences. Maintaining a strong portfolio focused on motifs of art history and queer sexuality, his experience in the artistic community spans international and domestic commercial and private commissions, comics, and personal works. Working primarily through the medium of watercolour and ink, the stylistic artistry of Pavlov’s illustration places emphasis on detail when reworking subjects from earlier periods of illustration into appropriate muses for the present day.

Born and raised in Moscow, Pavlov emigrated to the United States as a teenager and has lived in New York ever since. He majored in fine art at LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts in New York; interestingly his Bachelor of Arts degree was in English Literature, and much of his artistic skill was self-taught and developed through practice – he has commented that in hindsight he sometimes wishes he had attended art college.

Fyodor Pavlov is openly queer, and his art and public presence often engage with queer communities and culture. He is married to his creative partner, Lawrence Gullo (aka Lewd Alfred Douglas); together they have been involved in organising events, burlesque and cabaret-inspired community arts, and for several years from 2014 to 2019 they ran the Dr Sketchy’s New York chapter. Pavlov and Gullo also host costume and thematic parties, and maintain an active role in queer artistic circles. 

In print Pavlov’s work can be found in Queerotica: A Comics Anthology, The Other Side: An Anthology of Queer Paranormal Romance, and Dates! An Anthology of Queer Historic Fiction. His work has graced the posters of such prestigious events as Dances of Vice, the Liberty Belle Extravaganza and Dr Sketchy’s in New York, and The Black Cat Cabaret in London, and The Vienna Boylesque Festival.

When asked about his inspirations, Pavlov explains: ‘History, sex and death, and how the three intertwine. The work of my favourite writers and artists usually revolves around those themes – which of course are universal. I especially love the Victorian and Edwardian eras up to the 1920s. Basically, 1890–1929 are my bread and butter – it was an incredible time in human history that packed several centuries worth of social, cultural and sexual change in a few short decades. Aubrey Beardsley, John Singer Sargent, James Tissot, Giovanni Boldini, Félicien Rops, Otto Dix, Felix d’Eon, Alphonse Mucha, J. C. Leyendecker, Franz von Bayros, Leon Bakst, Ivan Bilibin, and my husband Lawrence Gullo, are all artists who are a constant source of inspiration to me.’

Fyodor Pavlov’s website is here, and his Instagram account here, both showing work in progress and upcoming events.

We are very grateful to our Russian friend Yuri for introducing us to the work of this artist, and for supplying many of the images.