Title: The seduction of the Mediterranean : writing, art, and homosexual fantasy /
Authors: Aldrich, Robert, 1954-
Publisher: Routledge,
Year: 1993
Subjects: European literature History and criticism; Homosexuality in literature; Literature, Modern history; Art history; Mediterranean Region In literature.
Abstract: The Mediterranean was the central theme in homoerotic writing and art from the 1750s to the 1950s. Writers and artists delved into classical mythology and history for figures - such as Ganymede and Achilles - through which they could portray a sexuality considered by society as a sin, an illness and a crime. Many journeyed to the south of Europe, particularly Italy, to admire the ruins of Antiquity and the paintings of the Renaissance, escape the social censure of their home countries and find sexual partners.