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TEAM
DRESCH Was Leonardo Gay?
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
Libber
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by Andy Simon
SING OUT!
STAND UP FOR JUSTICE!
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As moviegoers try to crack The Da Vinci Code,
the Renaissance man's sexuality remains the real mystery
on’t look for red or blue bandannas hang himself with the company of men. He had close
friends among the wealthy and powerful figures of
ing out the back pockets of the Apostles
his age. In addition, young men from throughout
in “The Last Supper.” That’s not the sort
Italy flocked to his studios to study art and assist
of code that the title of the movie The
with various artistic endeavors.
Da Vinci Code refers to. And yet there is
Still, all that could he quite innocent. Leonardo
ample evidence that the artist in the title,
and his disciples might have been united in their
Leonardo da Vinci, was gay.
passion for art rather than their passion for one
Leonardo was a genius. Everyone agrees to that.
another. But not all of their Florentine neighbors
He was also well-connected: a close, perhaps even
intimate, friend of Lorenzo de Medici, more than an
saw it that way.
acquaintance of Nicolo Machiavelli, an
employee of Cesare Borgia. An accom
plished artist and sculptor but also a scien
tist and philosopher whose interests ranged
from flying machines to urban planning,
the term “Renaissance man” was coined to
describe him.
Paradoxes abound in Leonardo’s life.
His main contribution to the history of
Western art lies in his careful, meticulous
studies of human anatomy—human flesh.
Yet one of the two images he is most
Leonardo da Vinci's relationship with Salai (right)
remembered for is the deeply spiritual
lasted for almost 30 years.
“The Last Supper.” The other is, of course,
a fully dressed and very modest woman—“Mona
Leonardo was twice arrested on charges of
Lisa.” He had an enduring influence on
sodomy, and while that charge was sometimes used
Renaissance art and all that followed from it. Yet
indiscriminately for any sort of out-of-wedlock
most of his works were destroyed or deteriorated
fornication, at least once the allegation was clear.
beyond salvation during his lifetime.
The artist was accused of a homosexual liaison with
But was he gay?
a notorious male prostitute who was also reputed to
Many of the more straight-laced art historians
be notoriously beautiful. Though arrested and
bristle at the suggestion, as if that factor would
charged, Leonardo was never convicted because his
contaminate his work and his reputation. But a
anonymous accusers failed to show up for his trials.
very strong case can be made for the claim.
Leonardo was a young man when he was
There are no back-pocket bandannas, but one
arrested for sodomy. His last years, too, provide a
can find clues in his work. His sketch books are
hint to his sexual nature. He had taken in and
filled with lovingly rendered front-and-back
raised several protégés, but there was one who
drawings of male bodies. Unlike Greek and Roman clearly had a special place in his heart. Leonardo
statues of nude men, Leonardo’s nudes sport
called him Salai, meaning “offspring of Satan.”
accurately drawn and appropriately proportioned
The artist sketched Salai many times, so we
genitalia. In some, those genitalia are fully and
know he was quite a beauty. His nickname referred
unmistakably erect.
to the fact that he wasn’t always nice, with a
Some critics have seen hints of homosexuality
reputation for lying and even stealing. And yet
even in Leonardo’s most famous images. Sister
Leonardo kept him on. In fact, they were regarded
Wendy, BBC’s well-known art historian, interprets
as inseparable. And not for just a short time: Their
Mona Lisa’s enigmatic smile as evidence that the
relationship lasted for almost 30 years. Some
two of them shared a secret. And what was that commentators refer to Salai as almost a son to
secret? According to Sister Wendy, it was that the
Leonardo. It is easy to imagine, however, that their
painter was gay.
relationship was close but in a somewhat different
Admittedly, that’s a bit of a stretch. And a
way.
renewed interest in observing and depicting the
So, was Leonardo gay? There’s no way to say for
physical world as it is, including the human form,
sure. But given the evidence, we can be forgiven if,
is a big part of what made the Renaissance the
when the question comes up, a slightly sly and
knowing smile comes to our lips. ©
Renaissance. So maybe Leonardo was just a good
observer of reality. But several details of his life pro
vide the context that makes these clues plausible
evidence of gayness.
For one thing, no record exists—no gossip, no
reports, no mention in his many journals and
diaries—that he ever had any close relationship
with any women. No less an authority than
Sigmund Freud says, having studied Leonardo’s
accounts of his childhood, that it is “doubtful
whether he ever embraced a woman with love.”
On the other hand, the painter surrounded
T he D a V inci S eries will provide audiences with
concise, authoritative explorations of the major
themes that helped propel the plot of The Da Vinci
Code 7:30 p.m. June 14, 21 and 28 at Arlene
Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 S.W. Broadway.
Tickets are $26~$44 a lecture from the box office or
Ticketmaster after 10 a.m. June 1.
A ndy S imon is a teacher and theater lover who lives
in Southeast Portland.