Eroticism and Art

Book excerpt: Art? Erotica? Or Pornography? Discussions of what actually constitutes erotic art are incredibly complex and usually highly controversial. The naked body in art has been with us since the earliest examples of Greek art and sculpture. The creation and display of such works of art has always inflamed opinion and today, even withour supposed relaxation of the codes of behaviour surrounding nudity, such images are considered provocative, dangerous, and are often unwelcome in the public sphere.Now - focusing on the last 150 years of western art, these debates are finally explored in an imaginative and engaging way using the latest research and analysis into this and related subject areas - by a woman.