The old saying goes “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” and it’s a good reminder that beauty – and art – is often in the eye of the beholder. This is never more true than it is when it comes to erotica. With so many different approaches to sexuality, art that depicts sex acts, the naked form or any aspect of sexuality is highly subjective. Still, there are some examples of art and literature that is more likely to leave you scratching your head than turning you on.
- Picasso’s The Kiss
Pablo Picasso is known for his unique vision when it comes to the human form. This is best illustrated in his 1967 piece The Kiss. The painting is one of the most well knows works of erotic art, though it often leaves people feeling a bit confused and perplexed. Are the really kissing or is one person just attempting to swallow the other’s face?
- Salvador Dali’s The Great Masturbator
Salvador Dali is another artist known for his surreal and slightly bizarre take on life. His melting clocks painting may be his most well-known, but he also has a number of paintings that focused on sensuality and human sexuality. This painting embodies Dali’s own conflicted view of sex. When he was young his father left a book out that contained photos of the advanced stages of various sexually transmitted diseases in order to “educate” the boy. It was also one of his favorites and he kept the painting in his personal collection until he died.
- 120 Days of Sodom by the Marquis de Sade
When it comes to famous pieces of erotic literature almost everyone can name the 12 Days of Sodom or its author, the Marquis de Sade. While most people know about this book, few have actually read it. If they did, they probably wouldn’t be so quick to offer it up as a sexy read. In fact, the book contains no real plot and is just a litany of bizarre and often sadistic sex acts. The book includes scat play, urine drinking, bestiality, violent sex acts and murder. And that’s really just the tip of the iceberg. Taken as a whole, it becomes easy to see why the book remains one of the most commonly banned books in history.
- Satyr and Satyress by Andrea Riccio
Andrea Riccio is a well-known artist but few people know about this small bronze statue he created between 1510-1520. The statue features two satyrs – one male and one female – engaged in some light foreplay with the female’s legs spread. The statue is an interesting combination of human sexuality and our more primitive and animalistic urges.
- Katsushika Hokusai’s The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife
You may not recognize Katsushika Hokusai’s name but chances are good you know his most famous painting, The Great Wave. While The Great Wave is an iconic piece of art his The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife isn’t quite as well known. Created in 1814 it is a show stopping piece and is one of the oldest representations of the ‘tentacle sex’ themes seen in today’s hardcore manga art.
- The ecrin for Women by Lukas Kandl
Contemporary art often pushes the boundaries and blurs the lines between different subjects. In this painting, artist Lukas Kandl combines the common focus of the female form (the breasts and vagina) while twisting, distorting and entirely eliminating the rest of the body. Placing it inside a case suggests an element of sex on demand according to many and the work has been called both empowering and degrading.
- Seedbed by Vito Acconci
Seedbed was a performance piece created and performed by artist Vito Acconci. He performed the piece in 1972 at Sonnabend Gallery in New York. Acconci hid beneath a ramp in an otherwise empty room and patrons of the gallery were invited to walk around. As they walked over the ramp Acconci was beneath he would create sexual fantasies about the patrons and masturbate. Audio of his fantasies – and his exertions – were broadcast in the room through a central PA system. You can check out a video that contains clips of the work at the Tate channel on YouTube.
