L' Academie des Dames
Artist: Nicolas Chorier
Year: 1659
Date of Action: 1659-1894
Region: Europe
Location: Europe
Subject: Explicit Sexuality, Sexual/Gender Orientation
Medium: Literature
Confronting Bodies: 17th Century England
Description of Artwork: This was the most popular pornographic series of 17th-century Europe. Originally written in Latin, it was translated to both French and English. The series, written in prose, contains infidelity, incest, sodomy, and female homosexuality. The English version, translated in 1688, is titled A Dialogue Between a Married Lady and a Maid.
The Incident: The series' original author, Nicolas Chorier, denied he wrote the piece and claimed someone had been using his name to ruin his career.
Results of Incident: Chorier's career was ruined, but the series continued to be the most popular and innovative erotic series until at least 1894.
Source:
Green, Jonathon. The Encyclopedia of Censorship. New York, NY: Facts on File, 1990. Print.
