Sexual Personae : Art And Decadence From Nefert... (2026)

Camille Paglia’s seminal 1990 work, Sexual Personae: Art and Decadence from Nefertiti to Emily Dickinson , argues that Western culture is defined by a persistent struggle between two opposing forces: the (male, rational, orderly) and the Dionysian (female, chaotic, chthonic nature) . Paglia posits that civilization is an artificial "swerve" away from the overwhelming power of nature, which she describes as indifferent and "red in tooth and claw".

Below are interesting articles and reviews that explore the book's themes and its enduring, controversial impact: Comprehensive Overviews and Retrospectives Sexual personae : art and decadence from Nefert...

: A critical look available via the American Psychological Association (APA), examining how her "personae" serve as vehicles for art's assault against nature. Camille Paglia’s seminal 1990 work, Sexual Personae: Art

: An original 1990 review from The New York Times that discusses Paglia's "scorched-earth attack" on liberalism and feminism. : An original 1990 review from The New