Culture and art

How a sex legend began

Quotes from a short-story collection in which 31 women write about their sex and sexuality.

Our recommendations series is back: a podcast episode about why loving and falling in love have started to feel sort of shameful, and what that looks like in real life.

What is burlesque? How did it come about, and how is it different from striptease?

The male body is just as beautiful and sexy as the female body. Our photographer looks at the work of Robert Mapplethorpe, a revolutionary of male erotic photography.

A burlesque performer on how he ended up on stage, where his love of costumes began, how friends react and why the audience matters most.

A London-based artist explores male eroticism and the awkwardness men feel in front of the camera.

An art historian, artist and ceramicist on the satyrs of Greek vase painting, some of the first humorous illustrations ever made.

We're launching a new column, sex and art. In this first part, an art historian, artist and ceramicist talks about Palaeolithic body positivity, with a nod to The Young Pope.

Comics about women in Iran, teenage rebellion in an Islamic republic, and what Iranian women talk about over tea, far from men's eyes.

An artist whose work is about people and pleasure talks about observing the world and what inspires her.

Our Purpur podcast specialist reviews Esther Perel's podcast, where couples' therapy sessions are recorded and shared anonymously.

Our guest recommends a documentary series in which journalist Christiane Amanpour explores sex and love in different cultures.

Four books about the body, desire, relationships and sexuality that we recommend reading.

Our selection of sensual films and one series for a cosy night in.

Not more than sex, but still: our pick of shows to keep you entertained in quarantine.

How should we talk about sexuality, and why do we talk about it so much? Five questions from the first volume of The History of Sexuality.

A selection of films in which documentary filmmakers tell stories about themselves.

A clinical psychologist unpacks love and AI using two films as examples.

A male nail artist on how he came to manicure, how clients react, and why nails can be art.

Italian artist Anna Volpi photographed herself and her body during her period, and her boyfriend too.

Jenny Rova collected her ex's photos with his new girlfriend, recreated them with herself in her place, and turned the result into an exhibition about jealousy.

A photographer explains how she works with people who have never been photographed before: how to put them at ease, and how to capture intimacy.

Our podcast lead on the most important series of the year, a story about rape, boundaries, trauma and how people live through it.

A film about passion, jealousy, power, anger and sex. Very sexy. You've been warned.

It's not about schoolkids. It's about a polyamorous relationship between three Londoners.