Candaulism

Candaules, King of Lydia, Shews his Wife by Stealth to Gyges, One of his Ministers, as She Goes to Bed by William Etty. This image illustrates Herodotus's version of the tale of Gyges.

Duke of Orléans Showing His Lover by Eugène Delacroix

Candaulism, or candaulesism, is a paraphilic sexual practice or fantasy in which one person exposes their naked partner, or images of their naked partner, to other people for their voyeuristic pleasure or the pleasure of their partner.^[1] Candaulism is also associated with voyeurism and exhibitionism.

The term may also be applied to the practice of undressing or otherwise exposing a female partner to others. Similarly, the term may also be applied to the posting of personal images of a female partner on the internet or urging her to wear clothing which reveals her physical attractiveness to others, such as wearing very brief clothing, such as a microskirt, tight-fitting or see-through clothing, a low-cut top, or minimal-coverage swimwear.

History of the term

The term is derived from an account in The Histories of Herodotus.^[2] King Candaules of ancient Lydia, according to the story, conceived a plot to show his unaware naked wife to his servant Gyges. After discovering Gyges while he was watching her naked, Candaules' wife ordered him to choose between killing himself and killing her husband in order to repair the vicious mischief.^[3][4][5]

Psychology

Isidor Sadger hypothesized that the candaulist completely identifies with his partner's body, and deep in his mind is showing himself.^[6] Candaulism is also associated with voyeurism and exhibitionism. An alternative definition proposes it as a practice involving one person observing, often from concealment, two others having sexual relations.

Historical instances

In the 1782 case of Sir Richard Worsley against George Bissett for "criminal conversation"^[7]—that is, adultery with Lady Worsley—it was revealed that Sir Richard assisted Bissett to spy on Lady Worsley taking a bath.^[8]

The art collector and connoisseur Charles Saatchi has considered the influence of candaulism upon the work of Salvador Dalí, citing episodes recorded by the artist's biographers in which Dalí's wife Gala was displayed to other men.^[9]

Robert Hanssen was an American FBI agent arrested in 2001 for spying for the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation. It was disclosed that he had taken explicit photographs of his wife and sent them to a friend. Later Hanssen invited his friend to clandestinely observe Hanssen having sex with Hanssen's wife during the friend's occasional visits to the Hanssen household. Initially, his friend watched through a window from outside the house. Later, Hanssen appropriated video equipment from the FBI to set up closed-circuit television to allow his friend to watch from his guest bedroom.^[10][11][12]

See also

References

Bibliography

• Herodotus; de Sélincourt, Aubrey (1954). The Histories: Newly Translated and with an Introduction by Aubrey de Selincourt. Penguin Books.

Further reading

• American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Text Revision IV (DSM-IV-TR).
• Barbara Foster, Michael Foster, Letha Hadady. Three in Love: Ménages à trois from Ancient to Modern Times. ISBN 0-595-00807-0
• Geoffrey Chaucer, Canterbury Tales (the Miller's Tale is a story that humorously examines the life of a cuckold).
• A book by French Queen Maguerite de Valois
• Robertson Davies, Fifth Business
• David J. Ley, Insatiable Wives: Women Who Stray and the Men Who Love Them. ISBN 978-1-4422-0031-9.

External links

• King Candaules as told by historian Herodotus. Archived from the original on 2020-01-02.
• Sheridan, Paul (2015-10-24). "In Defence of King Candaules". Anecdotes from Antiquity. Archived from the original on 2016-01-17. Retrieved 2015-10-26.

This page was last edited on 7 May 2024, at 12:13