Pornography has been a part of human culture since the dawn of civilization. Since its inception, the porn industry has had a profound effect on culture and society, from the political implications of censorship in the United States to the evolution of visual media to the debate surrounding its moral implications. But when was porn created?
Ancient Egyptian
In the ancient world, pornographic art and artifacts can be traced back to early Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Greek civilizations. The earliest examples of erotic art discovered include engravings on slabs of stone and terracotta figurines discovered in the ruins of ancient Babylon. Similarly, many Egyptian pharaohs were known to commission elaborate paintings depicting intimate scenes of heterosexual and homosexual act. Pharaohs such as Tutankhamen and Ramses the Great were known to have commissioned some of the earliest depictions of sexual acts.
Ancient Greeks
The Ancient Greeks also had a strong appreciation for pornographic art and literature. The Greeks are well known for venerating the beauty in male and female bodies as part of their philosophy of bodily perfection. Additionally, the Greeks developed the philosophical concept of Eros, linking love and sexuality as something to be celebrated. As a result, many sculptures, paintings and other forms of art from Ancient Greece tell stories with explicit sexual content.
Renaissance Period
The Renaissance period saw a surge in erotic art and literature, with many representations of both real and fantastic sexual encounters. Pornographic books, traveling shows and paintings became popular during this time, with some of the earliest publications appearing in print as early as the fifteenth century. In particular, paintings of mythological scenes and bawdy stories inspired by ancient Greek poetry enjoyed immense popularity amongst the aristocratic classes of Europe at the time.
Victorian Era
The 19th century saw a dramatic rise in the production of pornographic materials. With the introduction of new printing techniques in the 1830s, pornographic material became much easier to obtain and became accessible to a much larger audience. Popular works of the period included novels such as The Pearl and pornographic cartoon strips, often featuring explicit illustrations of sexual acts that appealed to a wider audience.
Erotica Becomes Porn
It wasn’t until the 1970s that the porn industry as we know it today took shape. For decades prior to this, pornography and erotica had been largely produced by small, independent artists and authors, often working with limited resources. As the industry began to professionalize and commercialize, many dedicated porn magazines, websites and directories began to emerge, giving the industry a much more modern and accessible look. Thanks to new technologies like the internet, pornography soon became much more accessible than ever before.
Censorship and Regulation
Due to the fact that porn is still considered taboo in many places, strict censorship laws have been imposed in many countries, especially in the United States. The government and many religious organizations have long argued that pornography is immoral and damaging to society, while proponents of free speech have argued that censorship of any kind limits freedom of expression. As a result, porn continues to be a politically charged topic.
The Impact of Pornography
Regardless of its legal status or moral implications, there’s no denying the fact that pornography has played a major role in western culture. Pornography has shaped public opinion and attitudes towards sex, it has altered the artistic landscape, and it can even be credited for inspiring many new movements in technology, like the development of internet streaming and virtual reality.
Pornography has been around for a very long time, and its history is tightly bound with the political and social aspects of western culture. As censorship laws and public opinion on pornography remain somewhat divided, it’s clear that debate surrounding the topic won’t be ending any time soon. As it stands, it’s clear that porn continues to have a major impact on culture, whether we choose to recognize it or not.
