Wikipedia:Today's featured article/November 30, 2006

The history of erotic depictions includes representations of sexual acts that have been created by nearly every civilisation, ancient and modern. Early cultures often associated the sexual act with supernatural forces and thus their religion is intertwined with their depictions. In Asian countries such as India, Japan and China, representations of sex and erotic art have specific meanings within the native religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Shinto and Taoism. The Greeks and Romans produced much art and decoration of an erotic nature also stemming from their religious and cultural beliefs which was especially influential on the west. In more recent times, erotic depictions have gone from being a luxury item to a propaganda tool and then an every day commodity and livelihood for some. As the technology of communication has changed, each new technique, such as printing, photography, motion pictures and computers, has been adapted to display and disseminate these depictions. (more...)

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