LGBT Artwork

Jacques-Louis David, Leonidas at Thermopylae, 1814

When Neoclassical art emerged in the eighteenth century, it styled itself as a contrast to the "feminine" Rococo style, reframing classical myths in a modern context and looking to ancient art for inspiration. The male body was idealized and glorified, often in the nude. Jacques-Louis David was a pioneer of the style, as part of his efforts to create propaganda and glorify the republic. He drew inspiration from Roman history, especially hyper-masculine, male-oriented stories of glory and fanatic loyalty. The end result - while it is debatable whether homosexual desire was the intent - is a strikingly muscular guy wearing nothing but a helmet and a scabbard over his bits.

This painting depicts Leonidas at the battle of Thermopylae (yes, the battle popularized by the movie 300). Rather than depict the fighting itself, David shows a frozen, suspended moment of preparation. Trumpeters sound, men race for their weapons, and Leonidas, the seated central figure, prepares himself for battle, contemplating the fate of himself and the soldiers who volunteered to hold off the attacking Persian army. On either side of him, two very young men can be seen; one is tying on his sandal, and the other says a last goodbye to his father (with an extremely phallic sword, which perhaps slightly mars the gesture). Leonidas attempted to send these two boys away, under the pretext of carrying a message, but they refused to go. The camaraderie of the men is unmistakable, as is their fantastic physique.