Lesbian erotica deals with depictions in the visual arts of lesbianism , which is the expression of female-on-female sexuality. Lesbianism has been a theme in erotic art since at least the time of ancient Rome , and many regard depictions of lesbianism as for sexuality in general to be erotic. For much of the history of cinema and television, lesbianism was considered taboo, though since the s it has increasingly become a genre in its own right.
First found in softcore movies and erotic thrillers , depictions of lesbianism entered mainstream cinema in the s. In pornography , depictions of lesbian sex form a popular subgenre , often directed toward male heterosexual audiences. They are also increasingly developed for lesbian and bisexual audiences.
Moreover, it has been found that this porn category is very favored among female heterosexual audiences as well. Sexual relations between women have been illustrated as well as narrated, but much of the written material from the early modern period has been destroyed. An Attic red figure vase in the collection of the Tarquinia National Museum in Italy shows a kneeling woman touching the genitals of another woman, a rare explicit portrayal of sexual activity between women in Greek art, [ 5 ] although it has also been interpreted as depicting one prostitute shaving or otherwise grooming the other in a non-sexual fashion.
Having all but disappeared during the Middle Ages, they made a comeback after the Renaissance. Turner were among the forerunners of 19th century artists who featured eroticism between women among their work. He was one of many artists to use various myths surrounding the goddess Diana , including the often-depicted story of Callisto , Diana's nymph who was seduced by Jupiter, with the god taking Diana's form since Callisto had vowed chastity.
In the 19th century, lesbianism became more openly discussed and found its way into many fields of art. In France, the influence of Charles Baudelaire is considered crucial, on literature as well as on the visual arts, [ 8 ] though according to Dorothy Kosinski it was a matter not for the high arts but mostly for popular erotica.
