The word ‘erotic’, the adjective that describes the arousal of sexual desire or excitement, made its first appearance in the Seventeenth Century. It was derived from the French word érotique, which was, in turn, based on the Greek words erõtikos, erõs, and erõt ‘sexual love’.
With all the media chatter going on about erotica ‘entering the mainstream’ post-Fifty Shades of Grey, it’s easy to forget that there’s been a wealth of wonderful – and sometimes controversial – erotic literature, paintings and objects that’s appeared over the centuries. In fact, our modern sexual lexicon is heavily influenced by all that has gone before. Take, for example, the words ‘sadism’ and ‘masochism’ (which I included definitions for in my last link round-up post). While many of us do understand their meaning, a considerably smaller number of people are aware of (or have read the work of) the writers after whom they were coined - Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, author of Venus in Furs, and Donatien Alphonse François, also known as the Marquis de Sade. Similarly, sex toys are nothing new: did you know that the word ‘dildo’ appeared in English in the 1500s?
If you’ve visited the Behind the Chintz Curtain Facebook page and scrolled back to the very beginning, you’ll know that we’ve included some significant sexual milestones, starting from the 1300s, in our timeline. But if you’re not a Facebook user – or simply can’t be bothered hitting the arrow key or stroking your mouse to get that far back – here they are. Think there’s something significant missing from the line up? Let me know …
2011: Fifty Shades of Grey
Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L James is released as an eBook by Australian virtual publisher, The Writers’ Coffee Shop.
2003-2004: Belle de Jour
Brooke Magnanti writes (anonymously) about her life as a prostitute via her blog, Belle de Jour: Diary of a London Call Girl (later published as Belle de Jour: The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl).
Image: Brooke Magnanti, a.k.a Belle de Jour, 2010. Original photograph by Paul Clarke.
1998: The Rabbit
Sex and the City’s The Turtle and the Hare episode, featuring the ‘Rabbit’ vibrator, airs for the first time.
1998: eReaders
The first dedicated eBook readers are released.
1993: Black Lace
Virgin Books launches Black Lace, an imprint specialising in erotica and erotic romance written for and by women.
1981: The G-Spot
The term ‘G-Spot’ is coined, named after German gynaecologist Ernst Gräfenberg.
1972: The Joy of Sex
The Joy of Sex, written by Alexander Comfort, is published.
1968: Cordless vibrator
The cordless vibrator is patented.
1954: The Story of O
Anne Desclos’s The Story of O is published under the pen name Pauline Réage. The book was written for her lover, Jean Paulhan, who admired the work of the Marquis de Sade.
1950s: ‘The Pill’
The first combined oral contraceptive (‘The Pill’) is developed and approved for use.
1940s: Anaïs Nin
Anaïs Nin writes erotic short stories for a private client at a price of one dollar per page. These shorts will go on to be published in the 1970s book, The Delta of Venus.
1934: Tropic of Cancer
Henry Miller’s Tropic of Cancer, a first person account of his sexual experiences and encounters, is published by the Obelisk Press.
1920: Latex condom
The first latex condom is made.
1883: Kama Sutra translated
Hindu philosopher Vātsyāyana’s Kama Sutra is translated into English and privately published.
1880: Electric vibrator
Dr J. M. Granville patents the first electromechanical vibrator.
1870: Venus in Furs
Venus in Furs, featuring a female dominant and a male submissive, is published. The term ‘masochism’ is later derived from the name of the book’s Austrian author, Leopold von Sacher-Masoch.
1869: The Manipulator
George Taylor invents the first steam-powered vibrator, known as the ‘Manipulator’.
1855: Rubber condom
The first rubber condom is made.
1748: Fanny Hill
John Cleland’s Fanny Hill is published. Depicting the life of a young girl working as a prostitute in London, it was banned until the 1970s in both the United Kingdom and the United States.
Image: Charles plucks Fanny’s virgin flower. Original by Édouard-Henri Avril.
1740: Marquis de Sade
The infamous Marquis de Sade (Donatien Alphonse François) is born. He would become famous for his libertine writings, such as Juliette, Justine, The 120 Days of Sodom, and Philosophy in the Bedroom. The word ‘sadism’ (from the French ‘sadisme’) is derived from his name.
Image: The signature of the Marquis de Sade, 1700s. Original by Marquis de Sade.
1684: Sodom is published
The obscene drama, Sodom (attributed to John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester), is published. Bolloxinion, King of Sodom, famously proclaims: ‘… that buggery may be used O’er all the land, so cunt be not abused’.
Circa 1593: Dildo
The word ‘dildo’ appears in English for the first time in Choise of Valentines [sic] by Thomas Nashe.
1592-1593: Venus and Adonis
William Shakespeare writes Venus and Adonis.
1524: I Modi (The Sixteen Pleasures)
Marcantonio Raimondi publishes I Modi (The Sixteen Pleasures), a series of explicit engravings featuring different sexual positions based on the erotic paintings of Giulio Romano. Pietro Aretino later composes sixteen Sonetti Lussuriosi (‘Lust Sonnets’) to accompany Giulio Romano’s original paintings.
Image: I Modi, 1524. Original by Marcantonio Raimondi.
1450s: The merkin
Merkins, pubic wigs, are used for the first time. The ten most famous merkins in recent years? http://www.thefrisky.com/photos/10-famous-merkins-on-screen/
Circa 1350-1353: The Decameron
Giovanni Boccaccio’s The Decameron is written. One hundred tales by ten different narrators of love, lust, bawdy behaviour and tragedy.
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