The Homosexuality As An Interdisciplinary Theorization Of Caravaggio

The proposition of my paper is to propose the homosexuality as an interdisciplinary theorization of Caravaggio’s artwork done in Rome. The purpose of this paper is to not dig deeper into the homosexuality of Caravaggio but to give a different representation and perspective of homosexuality. This paper does not discuss the actual sexuality of Caravaggio, but more so how we perceive norms that can differentiate with connotations to sexuality in Rome during his lifetime. Homosexuality is intertwined with norm systems that concerns sexuality.

During the Renaissance period, sexuality impacted how people, both men and women, were treated and how they behaved. The lives of women were completely defined by the ideals of sexuality that were enforced during that time. Every area of a woman’s life from birth was influenced by outside influences rather than by they themselves. It took a particular type of woman to break past the clearly defined description of what a “Renaissance woman” should be.

In the article “Sexuality and Social Standing In Jan van Eyck's Arnolfini Double Portrait” the author analyzes the religious and social grammars of marriage. This short paper will be a reflection of Harbison’s article that discusses religious and marital norms throughout, with also analyzing various sections of van Eyck’s piece, for example: implying the piece as a marriage document or contract of the marriage, which immediately makes the viewer look deeper into the double portrait. All of this helped me realize that pieces of art are not simply “pictures,” rather they are narratives like a scene in a documentary. The author starts the article with a clear thesis of analyzing the social religious and marital norms when this piece was made.

Caravaggio’s demonstration of the power of art was using art as leverage to become a nonnoble in a chivalric order and to gain freedom for his crimes.

Caravaggio’s, however, was darker and more dramatic. Caravaggio started an intense style called tenebrism. Tenebrism is a more prominent form of chiaroscuro, where there are vehement contrasts between light and dark. Fred Kleiner best describes Caravaggio’s style, “In his art, Caravaggio injected naturalism into both religion and the classics, reducing them to human dramas played out in the harsh and dingy settings of his time and place” (Kleiner, 681). Caravaggio painted during the Italian Baroque in the 1600’s. Italian Baroque artists like Caravaggio embraced theatricality and extravagant ornamentation, while Renaissance artists focused more on precise classical models. Now Caravaggio wasn’t exactly an upstanding member of society, most of what the art world knows about him is through his police reports. Caravaggio’s Entombment was created in 1603 and, like Giotto’s Lamentation, depicts the death of Jesus. While they both depict the same religious scene and use styles that are new for their time, Caravaggio’s painting has some drastic differences from Giotto’s. Caravaggio’s painting is oil painted on canvas, which gives Caravaggio the opportunity to be more detailed in his painting than Giotto can with fresco. Caravaggio creates these intense dramatic scenes of diagonals and intense movement. Unlike Giotto, Caravaggio uses linear perspective to direct his viewer’s attention to the body of Jesus. Caravaggio does this by using a diagonal cascade of mourners descending towards Jesus’ body. Inclusively, Caravaggio started a darker, more dramatic movement that gave naturalism a new realistic element.

Castration, crime, evil, heretics, all those terms used to be linked with sexuality in the past centuries. Humans achieved their sexual liberty only in the 70’s with a sexual revolution based on the progression of medias and the regression of a restricting presence known as religion. Before that, especially in the first half of the 20th century, there were differences in the expression of sexuality between genders. The Stone Diaries, by Carol Shields, illustrates the life of Daisy Goodwill, daughter of Cuyler and Mercy Goodwill, from her creation to her death. In the first chapter “Birth 1905”, Shields portrays the differences between men and women in society by looking at differences between Cuyler’s raging sexuality and Mercy’s repressed sexuality. There is certainly a contrast in their sexual needs and the author uses imagery to show how Mercy is seen as an object in Cuyler intense sexuality.

The Baroque period saw many influential artists and sculptors, however, for the purpose of this assignment I am going to reflect on the works of Bernini and Caravaggio. Bernini’s sculpture, The Ecstasy of St. Teresa and Caravaggio’s painting, the Crucifixion of St. Peter will be what I am going to discuss. Both artists rose to prominence during the Baroque era by employing the artistic techniques unique to the era and playing into the vast influence the Catholic Church held over creativity of this period.

Moreover, women considered to be wicked in the perspective of Roman men are demonized and their flaws are exaggerated within literature. With these limitations in mind, we may now begin to examine the depiction of feminine sexuality in literature and its reflection of Roman

This chapter talks about the development of gay and lesbian identities. According to Mary McIntosh, gay identity developed in the 17th century with the development of molly houses in England. The molly houses created a way in which homosexaulity can be recongizeded by expression through clothes, language, gesture, buildings, etc. D’Emilio believed that homosexual identity (men and women) developed in direct response to capitalism and wage labor. He argues the that the family shifted from unit of production to a unit of emotional satisfaction and happiness. In addition, the need to procreate decreased with the labor of children no longer being necessary. This led to a change in sexual relations within marriage. Furthermore, lesbian identity

Perhaps, at his very death bed, Michelangelo Merisi thought back on his life, and chuckled. Eventually to become known as Michelangelo Caravaggio, after the town he resided in as a child, Caravaggio became regarded as one of the best Italian artist in human history, and most mysteriously regarded. He conquered technical training, studying art and having an apprenticeship for quite sometime, before his career really took off (Biography of Caravaggio). Looking at his wide array of artistic works allows the viewer insight into Caravaggio’s personality and state of being, as his stylistic intentions are often reflected through his brush strokes. Some of his work seemingly recognizes his errors and asks for apologies, others portray his understanding

Botticelli was a Renaissance rule breaker. During this era of art painting nude and a woman no less was obscene. Nudity of women was reserved for recreations of Eve from the biblical story of her and the apple. Then Botticelli decided to paint a nude woman that was not as ghastly as Eve. Instead she was the goddess of love herself, Venus.

The presentation drew the attention of countless art critics who were now interested in investigating the final tragic years of a once-great artist. While relatively small, with only sixteen paintings out of the suggested twenty-one that Caravaggio completed after fleeing Rome (twenty-two if you count the Nativity, which was stolen thirty-five years ago in Palermo) the exhibit is still awe-inspiring and emphasizes not only the talent of Caravaggio, but also the speed with which he was able to work. Richard Spear echoes this accomplishment in his article Late Caravaggio: Naples and London, noting, “nearly half of the twenty-two paintings are big, multi-figured canvases. Even granting that Caravaggio painted quickly during his last phase, this is an impressive output over four years from an artist who had to resettle six times in five different cities and spent a month in prison” . The speed at which he created these works, however, was not at the price of their extravagance.

In the earliest of time in Greece, homosexuality became common within the civilization; which with this socially accepted involvement, some could say, provided the groundwork for the child molestation act of pederasty. Conversely, it appears the Greek’s institutionalized sodomy to a new level for children that involved predominantly upper-class men in the 7th century B.C.; shamefully, boosted with pride concerning this ‘training system as their civil duty.’ They professed to be giving needed guidance to young boys (eromenos); who became effectively courted by older men (the erastes or ‘lover’). The Greeks became flamboyant with their exploitation of adolescents and cunningly gave personal attention to young boys to produce sexual cooperation. Distinctly, there existed a real challenge between Greek homosexuals, involving who would become the ‘dominating partner;’ (which transpires as an extreme shame if you were the lesser); therefore, an infinite number of repugnant circumstances arose, while using children’s passiveness to conceal the men’s perverted actions.

Leonardo’s sexuality was always an unclear construct. Regardless of whom he preferred romantically, many of his portraits are absolutely filled with sensuality. There is something so obvious, so crude, about Leonardo da Vinci 's portrait of Cecilia Gallerani that it might seem beneath discussion. The 16-year-old mistress of the ruler of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, is stroking an ermine. The creature is white, furry and bony. Scholars have written reams about this ermine 's significance as an allegory of purity. With its long snout and serpentine body, her pet looks unmistakably phallic – and her control of it suggests that Sforza has been tamed by his young mistress.

Bernini’s subject matter, such as ecstasy of St. Teresa and St. Lawrence is religious, yet often considered as sexual and macabre imagery. Associated with Baroque Style and Catholic Church in the seventeenth century, Bernini’s highlighted physical body and sexual symbolism to convey spiritual experience and to help worshipers to get a spiritual vision. Baroque’s dramatic and emotional Style, which Bernini explored, made intense theatrical expression in sculpture possible. Moreover, Catholic Church, the patron of Bernini, approved of depictions of sexual and sensational imagery for propaganda purpose. Because of the physical and sexual expression of sculpture lead viewer understand and meet the St. Teresa and St. Lawrence’s religious ecstasy.