Is there such a thing as dangerous art?

Nadia Beard | Financial Times | 28th May 2026

Titian’s painting The Rape of Europa (1560) depicts abduction and rape. Is it any different from a video game – another art form – containing graphic sexual assault? Is there an “ethical grid” that identifies good from bad? What about imponderables like the intentions of the artist or the merits of judging centuries-old art by today’s standards?  The power of art lies in its ability “to transgress“. Observes the writer, “depraved art is a many-headed monster”.