depictions of nudity include any images or performances of people without clothing. these images have been made throughout history, both in the arts and sciences. nudity in real life is restricted in most societies, but visual images of nudity may serve recognized social purposes. in western societies, these are art, erotic images, including pornography, and information or science. any image not fitting into one of these functions may be misunderstood, leading to disagreements. one of these disagreements is the difference between artistic and erotic images.