Saturday, December 29, 2007

L'ecole de Platon By Jean Delville



Here's an interesting painting by Jean Delville, circa 1898, titled L'ecole de Platon (tr. The School of Plato or Plato and his Disciples). The painting is of course a depiction of a homosexual Jesus and twelve very effeminate and affectionate disciples. The title no doubt prevented the inevitable lynching that would have occurred had Delville entitled it "Jesus and his Disciples", but also allegorizes connections between homosexuality, platonism, and early christianity which form part of the canon of aestheticism. Besides the painting is dripping in purple wisteria blossoms which match Jesus' blouse perfectly.