2000 Years of The Art of the Erotic – a book by Phaidon

The erotic is a realm where desire and imagination meet.

This is the statement Rowan Pelling used to describe the subject of The Art of the Erotic, a Phaidon Editors book for which Pelling wrote the introduction. The Art of the Erotic examines the phenomenon of erotic art through a timeless prism, providing us with insights into human sexuality throughout the ages.

With over 1,500 titles in print, Phaidon is the leading global publisher of the creative arts headquartered in London and New York City. They collaborate with the globe’s most influential artists, writers and thinkers who help Phaidon produce innovative books on art, photography, design, architecture, fashion, food and travel.

The Art of the Erotic

The sexual desire of one human being for another is probably the most basic, universal and consistent instinct of our society. From ancient to the present times, artists have tirelessly sought to represent and invoke erotic impulses via their artworks and Phaidon will be attempting to put this fact into its true perspective.

Published in October 2017, The Art of the Erotic is a chronological publication which confirms human sexuality and art have always gone hand in hand with each other. The book covers more than 2500 years of human history, starting with hand-painted Athenian cups and mosaics from Pompeii, and going two and a half millenniums ahead to recent works by Wolfgang Tillmans and Anish Kapoor, covering everything in between.