Male Submission Art

A blindfolded man looks upwards as he sits naked in partial cover by shadow.

This photograph was suggested by heartbreaknympho. I fancy it because the lighting is superb and I’m oddly intrigued by that purplish haze at the corner of the frame. But of course, I also love the bare hint of a smile on the model’s face. When combined with his open posture leaning back on his hands and his raised face, it’s as if he somehow knows he’s being looked at, and admired.

I like this implicit storyline because it’s frustratingly rare to find any modern media, imagery or otherwise, in which men not only are the erotic subject but also look as though they’re enjoying that role. Contrary to what many people think, the absence of sexualized depictions of men in today’s mainstream outlets is an anomaly of our time born from unnaturally rigid and culturally-defined gender roles; it has few equivalents in historical work. In fact, as the consistent theme of Saint Sebastian in suggestions to this site showcase, throughout history artists have highlighted the beauty of the male form in myriad diverse ways.

-maymay

heartbreaknympho:

(via britisshameless)

Standing against a tree, a shirtless young man stands with his eyes closed, neck bared, and hands bound behind him.

This vintage photograph struck me because of how similar it looks to contemporary images of tied up men. There’s very little in the way of nudity or otherwise explicit sexuality and most of the submissiveness I see in this photograph has to do with hints of bondage—albeit more obvious than most—than a confirmed and visible restraint. In comparing vintage erotica in general with today’s pornography, it seems to me that there isn’t quite the same amount of stagnation among depictions of women as there is of depictions of men (with the notable exception of gay iconography).

Case in point, the source of this photograph cites that it is a depiction of Saint Sebastian by F. Holland Day, circa 1906, an extremely common subject for ostensibly (but not really) submissive men.

-maymay

fukkinng:

wwtt:

killingbambi:

teacakes:

pootee

A long-haired man is loosely bound to a pillar with ropes. Arrows pierce both his upper and lower body and he is wearing only a loosely tied 

Saint Sebastian is a recurring motif for submissive male imagery. There’s certainly much to like in the implications of strength evident from martyristic narratives, but they are not without their problems. First and foremost, martyrs are not sexy by virtue of being martyrs, but rather due to their other traits. Almost every submissive depiction of men in our culture specifically showcases martyrs—Jesus himself being an even more famous example than Saint Sebastian. I find this troublesome because it dilutes any possibility of a message that submissiveness can be something men desire to express by adding implications of tragedy and sadness to the act.

Such implications are not actually bad, but they are not well understood by most people. We live in a society where young men and women struggle merely to express a desire for the sexuality they do want, so it should come as no surprise that many people would be confused at their own desire for having the things things they don’t want happen to them. I’m the first to admit that such seemingly-but-not-really paradoxical desires can be sexy, but it’s not okay to use a discourse of shame and double-speak in expressing these things, as pictures of martyrs without analysis creates. Instead, we need a transparent and honest appraisal of the things we are looking at.

-maymay

mostlystraight:

male:

BruceWeberStSebastianArchiviVersace.jpg

In juxtaposed modern interpretations of the Saint Sebastian story, two men are tied by the wrists, one of them pierced by arrows.

This photo makes me feel like the universe is gifting me. I wondered after recent interpretations of Saint Sebastian, and lo, they have appeared before me! Um, awesome.

Via A Cause des Garcons.

-Eileen 

In this painting (which I believe is intended to be Saint Sebastian) a man is ted to a tree and pierced by arrows.

Again, historical art offers a great wealth of kinky images, often highly detailed and meticulously executed. I would be curious to see if there are any more modern artists dealing with these same subjects.

-Eileen

courgette:

Mattia Preti

A half nude man tied to a tree and pierced by arrows. This submission from the Baroque era finishes off the fine art trio for the evening. Thanks to Six for sending this in, and for including this awesome description:

[It] is encouraging to follow the thin thread running through the history of art wherein (we) submissive men are the erotic subject matter.  I submit for your consideration this St. Sebastian by Guido Reni, painted in 1615. There is much to be said about this painting, not least that it is almost 400 years old and still great bondage porn.  My modest contribution to Sebastian scholarship is to note that Sebastian is not looking to heaven as an” ecstatic saint”; he is looking up at the knot to see if he can untie it, like any frisky bottom.

-Eileen