How has the Narcissus myth inspired queer artists through history? | National Gallery

With its story of forbidden desire and tragic beauty, the Narcissus myth has long inspired artists. Through images from the Renaissance to today, Holly James Johnston explores how the myth has found particular resonance amongst queer literary and artistic circles. Works referenced in this video: Claude, ’Landscape with Narcissus and Echo’, 1644: Follower of Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio, ’Narcissus’, probably about 1500: John William Waterhouse, ’Echo and Narcissus’, 1903. Walker Art Gallery, National Museums Liverpool © National Museums Liverpool /Bridgeman Images Caravaggio, ’Narcissus’, 1597–9. Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica, Rome, Italy. Photo © Stefano Baldini/Bridgeman Images Gustave Moreau, ’Narcissus’, ca. 1890. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond. Adol