Themes in Focus

What were the sources of pleasure during the eighteenth century? The range of pleasurable activities from the bawdy and perverse to the refined are brought together in this collection of essays, which is the first to look at both the philosophy and practice of the pleasure-seeking Georgians. Experts on the arts of pleasure will luxuriate over Italian opera, gastronomic delights, the pleasures of Gothic terror, seduction, and the revellers of the bizarre London clubs.