What is Eroticism?

Although the eroticism is defined in the dictionary as a state of sexual excitement, this is a feeling that is much more related with the manifestation of everything that has a tendency or a character of the erotic and also sexuality itself. So, a hint, for example, may or may not contain erotica and it all depends on the context it is applied.

Eroticism can also be considered as a tendency to be more prone to sexual arousal or as the sexual stimulation without which there is an explicit presentation of sex.

Etymology

The word erotica has etymology main in Latin eroticus and on the Greek erotikos. The Greek term, including, originates from eros – “love” in Greek.

According to the greeks, Eros was the name of the god who was the embodiment of sexual love. This god was a boy, winged and mischievous, that he acted as a cupid. Who was hit by his arrow, she was consumed by passion.

Eroticism and art

To be a creative side of human sexuality, the eroticism has always been present in art since the dawn of civilization. That is why we find sculptures and paintings that bring the nudity or the sexual love represented in artistic form.

The Renaissance, with artists such as Michelangelo, also explored the eroticism by means of paintings and sculptures. It is the case of the sculpture David, by Michelangelo, or painting The Birth of Venus, by Botticelli.

The artist Rodin, in turn, had a real fixation by the expression of eroticism, and it’s no coincidence that one of his most famous sculptures, called “The Kiss”, involves a couple naked and kissing. The artist also produced numerous other sculptures on the same theme, always involving nudity.

Another artist fascinated by the eroticism was Gustave Courbet, author of the famous work “the Origin of The World”. The painting consists of a woman naked from the front for the screen, focusing on his intimate area. Another frame famous actor called “Sleep” and consists of two naked women embraced in a bed.

Eroticism and literature

Also present in the literature, the eroticism began performing in the back, so, so, be a part of the narrative more intense. In addition, the eroticism was also and still is very much used in feminine literature, having been a powerful weapon of empowerment a few decades ago. Florbela Espanca is one of the largest representatives of erotic poetry female, for example.

Eroticism, in fact, is present in literature since ancient times, as in the Middle Ages, and his well-known “Boccaccio”. The bias of the literary that expression, however, has always been more subtle, focusing on the art and the beauty of the construction of the work.

Nor the famous fairy tales are free of eroticism: there are many studies that evaluate that fairy tales bring an eroticism that is intrinsic and represented in the symbolism used in the stories. Little Red riding hood, for example, would be one example, as the Bad Wolf would be the representation of male virility. The presence of young princesses, and the meeting with their princes, according to experts, also works as a kind of expression of eroticism.

Currently, the eroticism has gained strength again in the literature with the explosion of books in the style of “50 Shades of Grey”, one of the bestsellers of the genre.

Eroticism and the cinema

The seventh art is not from the outside, and also incorporates the eroticism to their productions, as with games of eroticism, innuendos, and scenes sensual. There is, however, a very common error is to associate movies with eroticism in the porn movies.

Although it is difficult to create a limit between pornography and eroticism, the truth is that the eroticism brings out the creative side and implied sexuality. Thus, pornography may contain eroticism, but the reverse usually does not happen.

In Brazil, the greatest expression of eroticism in the cinema was with the legendary pornochanchadas, which were successful in the 70’s and 80’s. Of the offending and often considered inappropriate, these expressions of eroticism in the film tended to suffer the censorship constant due to its content. Vera Fischer, for example, was one of the actresses brazilian who devoted themselves to this genre.

Among the options are national, “Queen of Blending”, “The Seven Kittens” and the controversial “Love, Strange Love,” starring Xuxa and that, at the time she was a teenager.

Eroticism in different cultures

As with any artistic expression, creative or that involves the sexuality, the eroticism is treated differently by the world. Thus, there are cultures that accept the eroticism in a way that is more open and receptive than others.

This is the case, for example, of the cultures of the West, which tend to face the eroticism with more naturalness and less taboos. Already the Oriental culture, especially when it involves fundamentalism, tends to be more closed in this respect, enforcing more rules to this type of expression. In this way, the expression of eroticism is not homogeneous in all places and suffers the direct influence of the values of each culture and what the cultures are influenced.

So, knowing what is erotica it is possible to perceive how he is present in our lives and in all the arts. This, however, is not a negative point and, yes, an artistic expression of human sexuality.

Eroticism