Ancient gay art

Ganymede was 'the fairest of mortal men; wherefore the gods caught him up on high to be cupbearer to Zeus by reason of his beauty, that he might dwell with the immortals.'

So says Homer in the Iliad. Throughout antiquity, there was a fascination with the tale of how Zeus, king of the gods, fell in love with a human boy. The scene of Zeus swooping down from Olympus to snatch away Ganymede, acknowledged as 'The Rape of Ganymede', appeared on pottery, frescoes, statues and mosaics.

Zeus and Ganymede

c.475–425 BC, Attic red-figured kylix, attributed to the Penthesilea Painter. Ferrara Archaeological Museum

While many ancient depictions from Greece exhibition two humans in the tale of Ganymede, the Romans favoured a version more in keeping with Zeus' fondness for wooing mortals in zoological develop. According to the Roman poet Ovid:

'The king of the gods was once fired with passion for Phrygian Ganymede, and when that happened Jupiter create another shape preferable to his possess. Wishing to twist himself into a bird, he nonetheless scorned to convert into any conserve that which can carry his thunderbolts. Then without postpone, beating the gas on borrowed pinions, he snatched away the

Homosexuality in art: a journey between ancient and contemporary times

Homosexuality in ancient and new art masterpieces has always been a debated topic that still arouses the interest of scholars and art lovers.

Many of the wonderful artists of antiquity and the Renaissance painted erotic scenes between people of the same sex: in ancient cultures often explicitly; in the Renaissance, however, more cryptically, given the prevailing homophobia in those times that, in many cases, led gay people to prison or the death penalty. Homosexuality in modern art has, on the other hand, been a driving force behind many of the greatest artistic expressions of the 20th century and has had an significant political function, contributing to the creation of an alternative culture and the struggle for civil rights for the LGBTQIA+ community.

In this article, we will explore how art has represented homosexuality over the centuries and how it has influenced famous culture.

Homosexuality in ancient art

In many ancient cultures, homosexuality was accepted and even celebrated.

In ancient Greek art, homosexuality was often depicted in mythological scenes,

Sex, gender, and relationships were viewed very differently in the ancient world across cultures.

Introduction

This gallery explores the expression of same-sex treasure in the ancient Mediterranean through art. The Mediterranean was place to many cultures and societies, each with differing views on gender, sex, and relationships. Art was used to celebrate cultural ideals of love and desire or to subvert social norms.

Every culture represented in this gallery visualized love in its own way and had unique expectations of ideal relationships. Some cultures, like the Greeks, Etruscans, and Romans, used similar imagery to convey the dynamics of desire.

Mastaba of Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep

Same-sex love and desire are infrequently depicted in ancient Egyptian art, although Egypt did not have any prohibitions against homosexuality. A uncommon example is the tomb of Khnumhotep and Niankhkhnum, two men who have been speculated to be a couple. In art from their shared tomb, Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep were depicted in a manner consistent with married couples in Egyptian art. Affectionate scenes from the tomb, like this wall painting, may be some of the

The queer history of art

💡 Key insights

Same-sex relationships date endorse to prehistoric times and throughout history, expressions of queerness possess existed alongside heterosexuality.
The portrayal of homosexuality in art varied depending on the culture and historical period
Depictions of same-sex intimacy provides clues about the lives and experiences of LGBTQIA+ people in the past.

To celebrate Pride Month, we'll be continuing our series about queer identity, LGBTQ+ rights, and queer art history.

We've already covered the topics of The Flags of Pride and Inspiring Queer Cartoon Characters.

In the next and last installment of our Pride Month series, we'll cover the subject of queer art history. We'll start at the dawn of humanity and completion with the current times.

**Disclaimer: ** This article discusses adult topics such as human sexuality and erotic expression through art and design.

Art is a depiction and expression of life. Sexuality is an integral part of existence. Historically, the depiction of erotic love has always been one of art's main subjects. But what about the portrayal of queer love in art? When did the first depictions