Unknown Artist
Diversity in sexual preferences and gender identities cuts across all eras and cultures. Still, the heritage of the LGBTQ+ community is often overlooked. The Rijksmuseum wants to change this situation and in their online collection you can see a special exhibition devoted to this subject. Enjoy!
Persian poetry celebrated both spiritual and sexual love between men. Miniatures illustrate this as well. This one from the 19th century shows two young men in a playful, sensual embrace. A youth in gray is hugging a youth in blue and gold. The background is stylized of shrubs and stones which are drawn with a brush in black. The scene is framed by an ornamental border painted in solid colors and with thin colored framing lines.
P.S. Let's discover the history and most iconic representations of male homosexuality in western art. :)