Fanciful representation of the Marquis de Sade, for it has not been established that the man did practise sadism.
Just as Sacher-Masoch gave his name to masochism so the Marquis de Sade gave his name to
sadism. There is
controversy as to the extent to which de Sade was a practising sadist. Did he in reality act out
his fantasies or
were his novels the main vehicles for his sexual imaginings? De Sade like Sacher-Masoch,
wrote books of merit;
yet he is not remembered for these. The world inevitably associates him with sexual
"perversion," but such a thing
only touches part of the man - in addition to whatever sexual propensities he had he also
possessed considerable
political and philosophical stature. His life is a depressing catalogue of frustration, thwarted
ambition, and
imprisonment.