Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade, often simply known as the Marquis de Sade [Edit]

Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade, often simply known as the Marquis de Sade (1740-1814) was a French writer.

Sade is best known for his erotic works, which combined philosophical discourse with pornography, depicting sexual fantasies with an emphasis on violence, suffering, anal sex (which he calls sodomy), crime, and blasphemy against Christianity. He was a proponent of absolute freedom, unrestrained by morality, religion, or law.

He is known to have actually inflicted pain for his own sexual pleasure, as well as writing about it.

The word “sadism” (meaning the practice of getting sexual pleasure by consensually causing pain to someone and/or degrading them) comes from his name.

Writings by him are held at the Leather Archives & Museum.