Gay men in art
Male Homosexuality in Western Art
Homosexuality is still an underrepresented topic in art historical discourse. Since our magazine stands for inclusivity, we try to present to you works that might be omitted in a traditional art history course. We have already published a piece on lesbianism in art. Today it’s time for male homosexuality in art.
Ancient Education
Warren Cup, named after its first modern owner, depicts a typical Roman banquet scene: probably an older, or more experienced gentleman, engages in sex with a beardless younger man. Such practices were very common in Roman high society. Older men picked adolescent boys to mentor and educate them in the art of loving and living. They would grant political guide in return for physical pleasures. Firstly, they would all participate in a feast, eat and drink (from cups like this one), the young boys entertaining the older men with their singing, dancing and recital of poetry (you can glimpse the lyre on the left). Homosexuality was so much part of everyday life to the extent that the Romans didn’t even have a pos for
Years of Photographs of Gay Men in Love
Hundreds of photographs from the 19th and 20th centuries propose a glimpse at the life of gay men during a time when their love was illegal almost everywhere.
A beautiful group of photographs that spans a century (–) is part of a modern book that offers a visual glimpse of what life may have been like for those men, who went against the law to find admire in one another’s arms. In Loving: A Photographic History of Men in Love s–s, hundreds of images reveal the story of love and affection between men, with some clearly in love and others hinting at more than just friendship. The collection belongs to Hugh Nini and Neal Treadwell, a married couple who has accumulated over 2, photographs of “men in love” during the course of two decades. While the majority of the images hail from the United States and are of predominantly white men, there are images from Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, France, Germany, Japan, Latvia, and the United Kingdom among the cache.
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Some LGBTQA+ artists contain achieved world-renowned fame: Tom of Finland, David Hockney, Claude Cahun, and Glück, to name a few. However, there are many others whose work is less well-known but who provide significant glimpses into the lives and struggles of their community. These artists showcase the sexual, secretive, radical/political, and heart wrenching-moments that many, if not all, members in the community have experienced. Moreover, there is still a stigma that clouds over both LGBTQA+ artists and the art itself. Fortunately, here at Thomas J. Watson Library, we collect an encyclopedic and comprehensive collection of materials on the history of art in the world. Our online catalogue provides a great starting place to find an ample amount of materials to search LGBTQA+ art. Here are a limited to get you started!
Jarrett Key is a Brooklyn-based visual artist. In his artist's book Trans (see above), Key explores signs and symbols with relation to transgender and gender identities and public restrooms.
Zanele Muholui is a South African artist whose photobook, Face Featuring works from – relating to Homosexual identities and Homoerotic appearances within art. Under the umbrella term of 'art and identity', sexuality resides within its own category. Queer Art explores how artists expressed themselves in a noun when established assumptions about gender and sexuality were being questioned and transformed. Taking a roughly chronological view of the most crucial shifts and themes when it comes to the behind incline of acceptance of homosexuality. It is important to understand historical context when viewing these works, and the changing laws and views on homosexuality around the world Artists featured in this Curation:Derek Jarman (–), John David Yeadon (b), Colin Hall (b), David Hockney (b), Francis Bacon (–), Henry Scott Tuke (–), Ethel Walker (–), William Strang (–), Duncan Grant (–),