Erotic images have met with varying degrees of acceptance throughout history and have always proposed new ideas of erotica, as demonstrated by the works reproduced in this book. From ancient fertility statues to Renaissance engravings designed to encourage procreation within marriage, erotic art has always held an important place in society. Here, for the first time, 1,000 authentic images of erotic art have been brought together, spanning centuries and civilisations to demonstrate the evolution of the genre. In an era such as ours when eroticism is abundant in advertising and the media, this book gives a refreshing insight into the background of erotic imagery, highlighting the artistic value of beautiful works of eroticism executed with ski.

Author Biography

Victoria Charles received her PhD in art history. She has published extensively on art history and has contributed to Art Information, an international guide to contemporary art. She is a regular contributor to journals and magazines. She also contributed to a collective work, 1000 Paintings of Genius.General Introduction by:Hans-Jurgen Dopp taught for a number of years at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt, where he held a chair of psychoanalytical interpretation, as well as the cultural history of erotic art. For the past thirty years, he has been an avid collector of erotic art and has gained international recognition through various exhibitions and publications.Chapter Introductions by:Joe A. Thomas is an associate professor at the Clarion University of Pennsylvania. His research is centred especially on the representation of sexuality and he is currently working on the eroticism in Pop Art.