Erotica in art

Most scholars tend to see in numerous applied, graphic, sculptural erotic works of early antiquity rather the realization of an unconditional belief in the sacral power of sexual symbols, rather than the actual embodiment of the need for erotic experience. “If we want to understand eros in antiquity, we need to look for its appropriate intersections with mythology, religion, law, ritual, legends so carefully, until we can present all these spiritual interactions as a single whole.”
The syncretic character of ancient Eros made the perception of the erotic more ritualized rather than individually unique: there is still very little psychological content in its roots. And now, from a great historical distance, it is much easier to reveal the ethical, cognitive, sacral functions of ancient eros, rather than catch the invisible connections between its aesthetic profile and the inner needs of the individual. The exception here, perhaps, is only the ancient lyrics, which by their nature are focused on the intimate, personal, intimate. Such works, in which motives of individual psychologisation of the sensual sphere are clearly germinating. can be found in the cultures of the East, Central Asia, Latin America.
Analyzing the numerous orgiastic cults of ancient Greece, noisy festivities in honor of Dionysius, Venus, etc., it is impossible not to note their always public, public character. Therefore, asking the question whether psychology determined such a way of life or, on the contrary, it was itself the result of such an established order of the Greek polis, we consider the second answer preferable.
The sensuality of the individual was completely dissolved in the social psychology of classical antiquity. Without revealing this balance of individual and social, it is difficult to understand the origins of some specific forms of sensuality in this era, for example, the prevalence of same-sex love. Sparta and Crete, Corinth and Phoebe - here every young man mastered the art of struggle and military action, often thanks to the love of that. who for years was older than him. Consolidated in law and in religion, this form of eros found its complete incarnation in arete, regarded as a civil virtue.
It is impossible to reject such a basis, which formed the ancient sensuality. like nature. According to some authors, the Greeks are very intimate experienced nature. were closely associated with it throughout the whole of ancient history, they felt a deep need to understand the whole immensity of the world of feelings hidden in it.
But, of course, innumerable love stories of ancient gods became the main source of artistic images of erotic content. Among the most popular scenes is the seduction of Leda by Jupiter, which turned into a swan. The image of this exotic love was repeatedly implemented in the applied
art (vases, wine goblets), then turned into sculpture; later reproduced more than once in Hellenistic art and after many centuries re-emerged from Michelangelo.
Certainly, repetitive art subjects of erotic content had a significant impact on the formation of sustainable psychological structures. Here, as elsewhere, the specifics of art acts as a completely autonomous “second reality”, contact with which gives rise to the illusion of actual experience and, therefore, forms the corresponding sense of feelings and needs