Although not often emphasized, a notable gay history exists among classic artworks. The British Museum endeavors to reveal these secrets with their new guide entitled A Little Gay History. Written by ancient Egyptian art curator Richard Parkinson, the guide highlights the homoerotic artworks within the museum's archives. It is narrated by actor Simon Russell Beale and artist Maggi Hambling
"History has all too often been a list of the deeds of famous men who are implicitly 'heterosexual' and usually European," Parkinson wrote. "Unsurprisingly, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people have often felt excluded and silenced, and without a voice."
The guide displays artworks such as an Egyptian poem composed in 1800 BCE, a Japanese woodblock print of two men getting intimate, and various objects acquired by the institution. There's even a drawing by Michelangelo displaying the body of Phaeton falling from his father's sun chariot. Michelangelo sent this drawing to his young friend Tommaso de'Cavalieri. The guide is sure to capture a lot of attention.
[viaGuardian]
