That's a commonplace observation but, if you doubt me, just do a quick Google search for St Sebastian and see how many nudes you get, all showing a cute boy writhing in agony/ecstasy.
Even the earliest depictions of St Sebastian seem to focus on a sense of corporeal physicality, and he's by no means alone to have found this fate (as proto-gay porn).
Some modern artists continue this trend, as here, in a brilliant Pierre et Gilles pastiche:
And there are other subjects than just St Sebastian -- Mercury/Hermes is often a favourite:
And let's finish with that modern phenomenon, the angel, now threatening vampires in the modern culture stakes as the West's most depicted fantasy cultural icons:
I say who cares? It's yet another welcome excuse to show hot models with barely any clothes on. What's not to like?
5 comments:
Lovely depictions, Le Duc! Thank you!
Especially the angelic nipples in the last photo. Mmmmmm.
Well! Angels are young males?
My pastor lied to me all those years ago, telling me they were of the female (and therefore dull) persuasion. It's enough for me to ignore the fact their power to weight ratio is all wrong; they'd never get off the ground. And now I discover they also wear cheese cloth undepants!
Now, I seem to recall something about having a personal angel to watch over me. Is that all he is permitted to do? Just watch? Hmmmm ...
The painter Reni seems to have had an obsession with St Sebastian. And curiously, given how nubile he was usually painted chances are he was a lot older and more grizzly. See my blog post http://diaphania.blogspirit.com/archive/2008/02/10/reni-s-st-sebastians-six-of-the-best-at-dulwich.html
Lovely, LeDuc.Thank-You.
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