Bersani and Dutoit Reinterpret Caravaggio's Ambiguous Eroticism
Léo Bersani and Ulysse Dutoit have released "Les secrets du Caravage" (Ed. EPEL), with a translation by I. Châtelet, which contests the perception of Caravaggio as a painter solely focused on homosexuality. They suggest that the eroticism present in his artwork signifies a form of intimacy that goes beyond sexual orientation, connecting his creations to modern interpretations of intimacy influenced by Foucault. The authors utilize an interdisciplinary framework, incorporating psychoanalysis and literature while challenging traditional critiques. They explore the interplay between thematic significance and spatial indicators in Caravaggio's works, differentiating between immobilizing seductive figures and dynamic visual aspects. Engaging with Queer Theory, they argue that Caravaggio presents a visual alternative to obsessive desire, encouraging an exploration of space that remains liberating.
Key facts
- Book 'Les secrets du Caravage' by Léo Bersani and Ulysse Dutoit published in France by Ed. EPEL.
- Translation by I. Châtelet.
- Bersani is an American academic and essayist; Dutoit teaches at Berkeley.
- The book challenges the cliché of Caravaggio as a homosexual painter of beautiful boys.
- Authors argue Caravaggio's erotic portraits are not reducible to sexual identity.
- They connect Caravaggio to contemporary attempts to reformulate intimacy (Foucault).
- Method draws on psychoanalysis (Laplanche, Lacan) and literature (Flaubert, Proust, Beckett).
- Authors advocate for a transhistorical and transgeneric critical approach.
- They identify a tension between thematic meaning and spatial cues in Caravaggio's paintings.
- Distinction between seductive boys that immobilize the viewer and visual elements that mobilize the gaze.
- Critique of Lacan's concept of beauty as a barrier against horror.
- Caravaggio's luminous surfaces signal intensification of the object and participation in the world.
- Engages with Queer Theory but rejects identity-based readings.
- Acknowledges a 'gayness' in Caravaggio: refusal of the couple, diffuse sensuality, perceptual promiscuity.
- Proposes Caravaggio offers a visual alternative to passionate fixation: a cruising of space.
Entities
Artists
- Caravaggio
- Léo Bersani
- Ulysse Dutoit
- Georges Didi-Huberman
- Daniel Arasse
- Gustave Flaubert
- Marcel Proust
- Samuel Beckett
- Roland Barthes
- Raymond Picard
- Jean-Luc Godard
- Pedro Almodóvar
- Terrence Malick
- David Halperin
- D.A. Miller
- Didier Eribon
- Judith Butler
- Tim Dean
- Chris Lane
- Alexandre Leupin
Institutions
- University of California, Berkeley
- British Film Institute
- Ed. EPEL
- Editions du Regard
- Université de Baton Rouge
Locations
- France
- United States
- Berkeley
Sources
- artpress —