Depraved
The Story of Dangerous Art
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected Aug 11, 2026
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
“Timely and punchy... won't let you look away”—The Guardian
“Essential, sparklingly smart.”—Dan Jones, New York Times bestselling author of The Plantagenets and Henry V
A bold, expansive argument for a new way to understand immoral art in our time of cultural and political upheaval
In this unconventional journey through the history of art, philosopher and artist Daisy Dixon explores works of art that society has condemned as depraved, obscene, or dangerous, from prehistoric sculpture to extreme metal music, videogames to classical paintings. Interrogating our sense of morality, past and present, Depraved asks readers to engage with essential questions about art, censorship, social progress, and the eternal debate over right and wrong. Can an artwork speak? How can it shape or distort our world? Who gets to decide whether a work of art is depraved, and what are the qualities that make it so? And of course, what should we do about it?
As art is subjected to renewed criticism in the cultural and political spheres, it is imperative that we examine it with care. Only by understanding the long history of depraved art can we begin to bring our own age into focus. Art can be dangerous—but censorship can be equally catastrophic. Where does this leave us? With wit, fascinating anecdotes, and shrewd analysis, Dixon crafts a path forward that demands a new understanding of the nature of art itself.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Art that depicts rape, slaughter, and problematic historical figures should be criticized but not necessarily censored, according to this probing debut treatise. Cardiff University philosophy professor Dixon surveys controversial art from Stone Age fertility figurines to the Marquis de Sade's tales of sexual torture, and ponders the problems it raises. Crusades against obscenity, she notes, can hinge on arbitrary notions of sexual morality, and claims that artistic depictions of violence inspire crime are hard to prove. More pernicious is art that puts a beautiful gloss on hate speech or toxic narratives, as with scenes of sexual violence like Titian's The Rape of Europa, which Dixom argues glamorizes male aggression. Viewers also shouldn't disregard artists' morality when judging their works: Hitler produced seemingly anodyne landscapes, yet Dixon discerns "a monster prowling within pastoral scenes," an insidious nostalgia for an imagined Aryan past. Dixon asserts that art should be challenged when it encourages sexism, racism, or cultural appropriation, but her preferred remedy, articulated in a section on the toppling of memorials to Confederate general Robert E. Lee, is to create more art that contests these themes. Dixon insists that concerns about morality and justice are important without losing sight of art's aesthetic imperatives, and she writes incisively about the interplay between the two. The result is an insightful, timely analysis that gives full weight to both art and conscience.
