Definition

1. Noun:
   • Pornographic painting: A visual artwork, typically a painting, that explicitly depicts sexual acts or imagery with the primary purpose of arousing the viewer. The term combines "dâm" (lewd, obscene) and "họa" (painting, picture).

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Bức tranh đó bị coi là một dâm họa và bị cấm triển lãm. (That painting is considered a pornographic painting and was banned from exhibition.)
  • Các dâm họa thường bị chính quyền thu giữ và tiêu hủy. (Pornographic paintings are often confiscated and destroyed by the authorities.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is specific to visual art forms like paintings or drawings. It is a formal and condemnatory term, often used in legal, academic, or critical contexts to describe art deemed obscene.
• It implies a judgment that the work is morally corrupting and violates social norms regarding sexual depiction.

Variants and Related Words

• Dâm thư (n): Pornographic book or literature.
• Khiêu dâm (adj/n): Pornographic; pornography (a more general term for pornographic material).
• Tranh khiêu dâm (n): Pornographic picture (a more common and direct synonym).

Synonyms

• Tranh đồi trụy: Depraved/degenerate painting.
• Tranh khiêu dâm: Pornographic picture.

Notes on Meaning

• Cultural/Legal Context: In Vietnamese law and many social contexts, creating, distributing, or possessing "dâm họa" is illegal and subject to penalty. The term carries a strong negative connotation of moral decay.
• Scope: Specifically refers to painted or drawn artwork. For other media like films or photographs, terms like "phim khiêu dâm" (pornographic film) or "ảnh khiêu dâm" (pornographic photo) are used.

1. Pornograpic painting