Abstract: This essay argues that erotic art is art which aims to engage viewers sexually through explicit sexual content, and succeeds to some extent in doing so. The boundaries of the concept of erotic art, and some of the psychological and social implications of erotic art are also explored. The scope of this essay is restricted in two ways. First, the essay concerns visual art exclusively, and then, almost entirely, visual art of two dimensions. Second, the examples are drawn only from Western art, and mainly Western art since the Renaissance.

Keywords: visual art, Western art, Renaissance, sexual content,