Salacious, Sacrilegious
2023
The Italian Renaissance is a perfect example of an era in which homoerotic connotations can be examined through some of the period's most prominent artists and their works. Michelangelo Buonarroti's painting Doni Tondo depicts the Holy Family in front of a slew of young, robust, naked men, which has been interpreted as a representation of Michelangelo's longing for a "normal" family and lifestyle. However, it is likely that the piece is simply a religious work, not symbolising much more than what it explicitly shows. Renaissance art was often brimming with erotic and homoerotic themes, but this is not to suggest that they were not also heterosexual in their appeal. Human sexuality is not compartmental, and it is impossible to distinguish between heterosexual and homosexual beauty. Renaissance artists such as Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci were surrounded by sex, which had a profound influence on their artistic and existential outlooks.
Despite religious and legal powers disapproving of homosexual practices, sermons and laws allowed homoerotic imagery to pervade Renaissance art. Also due to the Renaissance’s patriarchal system of values is the lack of lesbian centred homoerotic content, in art and otherwise.This lack of evidence of sex between women in the Renaissance does not mean that it did not happen, but rather that it was thought to be unworthy of recording.
This is not to say that all artworks and artists that have been interpreted as homosexual from a modern standpoint were, but it does help us better understand outlooks on same-sex love during the time and how understanding of homosexual identity has broadened over time.
Pit uses this reference in his series to create a modern representation of the queer community with Renaissance aesthetics using photography. Nowadays, the queer community is much more accepted, and queer artists are free to express themselves as they wish. He uses a queer person in each of his collages to show that any of the people depicted in Renaissance paintings could have been queer as well.
Religion is much less important in the Western world nowadays. As a result, Pit can freely work with queer people in his photographs and show that they are better represented in our society.
Nonetheless, we have a lot to fight for. This series should demonstrate that the LGBTQ community is stronger than ever, and that we will continue to fight for our rights and representation.