Publisher's Synopsis
This volume examines artistic works from the past to show how the most powerful representations of homosexuality have emerged from conditions of secrecy and even repression. The book is illustrated with works by Leonardo, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Canova, Lucien Freud, Robert Mapplethorpe and others. Fernandez considers the many styles and strategies by which artists, sculptors and photographers have elaborated on the essence of homosexuality in Ancient Greece and Rome, the Renaissance and Baroque movements, Chinese and Japanese erotica, the 19th century, the official art of fascism and, finally, the modern and contemporary eras. Throughout, Fernandez considers the morality of each society, comparing artistic success and acceptance across the centuries. He arrives at conclusions which demand a fundamental reassessment of art history and the creative process, and which can be extended far beyond the realm of homosexuality in art.
