A queer perspective on art history

Accompanied by an art historian specialising in gender, we will explore the Prado's collections to discover how different societies and historical periods have represented the body, masculinity, femininity, desire and relationships. Among the works explored during the experience are Guido Reni's Saint Sebastian, one of the most striking representations of the saint and a figure that has acquired particular significance within gay culture and iconography; Caravaggio's David with the Head of Goliath; Rubens' The Rape of Ganymede, based on one of the great classical myths of male desire; and Hermaphroditus, alongside other works and artists that open up different perspectives on gender, the body and desire. This experience is not simply about looking for LGBTQ+ characters or artists. It is about asking questions. How was male desire represented in different historical periods? What did gender and sexuality actually mean in their original historical contexts? Why were certain male bodies represented with such sensuality? What stories of desire have been hidden behind traditional interpretations of certain works? And how can we look at these masterpieces today from a queer perspective while still understanding their historical context? Because the same work of art can tell a very different story depending on the way we look at it.