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Candaulism, also calledcandaulesism, is aparaphilic sexual practice orfantasy in which one person exposes their naked partner, or images of their naked partner, to other people for their voyeuristicpleasure or the pleasure of their partner.[1] Candaulism is associated withvoyeurism andexhibitionism.
The term may also be applied to the practice of undressing or otherwise exposing a partner to others, as well as to either the consensual or non-consensual (and therefore unethical and illegal) posting of personal images of a partner publicly or to urging him or her to wear clothing which reveals their physical attractiveness toothers — such as amicroskirt,tight-fitting orsee-through clothing, low-cut top, or minimal-coverage swimwear.
The term is derived from an account inThe Histories ofHerodotus.[2] KingCandaules of ancientLydia, according to the story, conceived a plot to show his unaware naked wife to his servantGyges. 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]
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 withvoyeurism andexhibitionism. An alternative definition proposes it as a practice involving one person observing, often from concealment, two others having sexual relations.
In the 1782 case ofSir Richard Worsley against George Bissett for "criminal conversation"[7]—that is, adultery withLady Worsley—it was revealed that Sir Richard assisted Bissett to spy on Lady Worsley taking a bath.[8]
The art collector and connoisseurCharles Saatchi has considered the influence of candaulism upon the work ofSalvador Dalí, citing episodes recorded by the artist's biographers in which Dalí's wifeGala was displayed to other men.[9]
Robert Hanssen was an AmericanFBI agent arrested in 2001 for spying for theSoviet Union and theRussian 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 still, Hanssen appropriated video equipment from the FBI to set upclosed-circuit television to allow his friend to watch from his guest bedroom.[10][11][12]
| Nakedness and clothing | |
|---|---|
| Nudity and sexuality | |
| Issues in social nudity | |
| Naturism | |
| Nude recreation | |
| By location | |
| Social nudity advocates | |
| Depictions of nudity | |
| See also | |
