Androgenous Jesus

[UCBerkeleyPostop]

Supper at Emmaus by Caravaggio

Schoolchildren were shown this painting, most of the boys thought the focal character was a man, the girls thought the figure was a woman.

[BrendanIsQueer]

How very interesting. I wonder if that's because of a child's own biology, or because of what they know of society's views on what makes a person a certain gender? And, what would the results be like if the test was taken with adults instead of children? I find it odd how I, a guy, saw and thought Jesus looked more masculine here. I love when things like this come up that make me think! Very cool.

[Padma]

I think I've mentioned this before, a therapist acquaintance of mine once overheard a little boy and a little girl looking at a painting of Adam & Eve in an art gallery - the boy said "Which one's the man and which one's the woman?" and the girl replied "I don't know, they don't have their clothes on."

[BrendanIsQueer]

Padma, that is very odd! In a good way, of course. That example really does show how young children perceive gender identity. I think it possibly shows hope and potential for a more open-minded generation, if the rest of society would play their cards right. I'm not too sure how long that will take, but I hope it's soon!

[Padma]

Yes, I think it's a sweet anecdote about conditioning . They weren't old enough to know about body parts, so all they had to go on was the pink/blue-type nonsense, which we get right from the maternity ward onwards.

[Sara Thomas]

Interesting painting... even more so after reading through some varying analyses of it.

[tekla]

More like "Chubby Jesus Could Use Some Time at the Gym" but then again, at that time being overfed was a sign of wealth.

[Pica Pica]

Guy at the far right with the shell on is telling a boring fish story and dude with the white hat on is not impressed.

[That said, if it's supper at Emmaus, I'm guessing the fish/shell guy is St James, cos of the whole shell/santiago link]

[Jamie D]

[BrendanIsQueer]

Jamie D, that picture gave me the creeps but made me laugh at the same time, mostly because the guy doesn't even look like the typical depiction of Jesus?? Ahaha.

[tekla]

'Tis true that most people prefer the more hunky Jesus image.

[Pica Pica]

I think the Jesus looks like Rafael Nadal.