Erotica

Illustration for Fanny Hill (1748) by Édouard-Henri Avril

Erotica is art, literature or photography that deals substantively with subject matter that is erotic, sexually stimulating or sexually arousing. Some critics regard pornography as a type of erotica, but many consider it to be different. Erotic art may use any artistic form to depict erotic content, including painting, sculpture, drama, film or music. Erotic literature and erotic photography have become genres in their own right. Erotica also exists in a number of subgenres including gay, lesbian, women's, monster, tentacle erotica and bondage erotica.

The term erotica is derived from the feminine form of the ancient Greek adjective: ἐρωτικός (erōtikós), from ἔρως (érōs)—words used to indicate lust, and sexual love.[1]

Curiosa are curiosities or rarities, especially unusual or erotic books.[2] In the antiquarian book trade, pornographic works are often listed under "curiosa", "erotica" or "facetiae".[citation needed]

  1. ^ Talvacchia, Bette (2010). "Pornography". In Grafton, Anthony; Most, Glenn W.; Settis, Salvatore (eds.). The Classical Tradition. Cambridge, Mass. and London: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-03572-0.
  2. ^ "Curiosa (plural noun)". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 1 December 2022.