LGBTQ+ histories at The Burrell Collection

Marble, made in Italy, after designs by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, restored by Antoine Guillaume Grandjacquet, 1770s

The Warwick Vase was originally discovered in fragments in the grounds of Emperor Hadrian’s villa near Tivoli, Rome. Hadrian ruled as Roman Emperor between 117–138AD. He had a male lover named Antinous who travelled with him across the empire.

In 130 AD, while visiting Egypt, Antinous drowned in the Nile. Hadrian went into deep mourning at Antinous’s death. To commemorate him, Hadrian turned Antinous into a god, an honour usually reserved for the emperor’s family. Hadrian erected hundreds of statues in Antinous’ honour for citizens of the Roman empire to worship, and founded a city, Antinoöpolis, on the east bank of the Nile, in memory of Antinous.

At Tivoli, Hadrian created his own statues of Antinous to remember the man he loved. When the Warwick Vase fragment was excavated, they also unearthed these sculptures of Antinous.

Brass, made in Germany

This dish shows the Christian martyr, St Sebastian, at the moment of his execution. He is tied to a tree, semi-nude, flanked by archers who fire arrows into his body. St Sebastian has had many symbolic meanings throughout history. He was once the patron saint of plague victims, but within the LGBTQ+ community, some regard him as a gay icon.

During the Burrell Refurbishment, LGBTQ+ Age, a community group for LGBTQ+ people 50+, explored what St Sebastian meant to them and wrote poignant and compassionate interpretation labels that make these LGBTQ+ histories visible:

“The arrows fired into his body are like the words that can still prick us as LGBTQI+ individuals.”

Soft-paste porcelain, made by the Bow Porcelain Factory, London England.

This figure depicts the 18th-century actor Henry Woodward as ‘The Fine Gentlemen’ in David Garrick’s play Lethe (1749). Dressed in a fashionable coat and waistcoat, oversized tricorn hat, powdered wig, and sword, his costume is typical of the fashions worn by an 18th-century Macaroni.

Macaronis were a set of young English societal men who wore extreme and colourful forms of male clothing. The name came from The Macaroni Club, a group of men who had travelled in Europe and became obsessed with fashion and commodities from abroad; they were named after the pasta dish, macaroni, which was a popular and exotic delicacy.

Their flamboyant way of dressing and taste was regarded by wider society as a sign of male effeminacy, and sometimes homosexuality. Woodward’s character, dressed as a Macaroni, parodied this group.

Chip-carved wood, made in England

Sir William Burrell bought this casket for his art collection in 1927, believing it to be a writing box owned by King James VI and I. Letters written between King James and his favourite courtier, George Villiers, hint that they shared a loving and physical relationship for nearly a decade, until James died. This casket may well have contained such letters or been used to write them.

George Villiers worked as James’ Royal Cupbearer, ceremonially serving the king food and drink at meals. James showed great favour towards George, hosting parties in his honour and making him a duke. In 1617, James had to publicly defend his love for George to his Privy Council, who had complained about James’s favouritism of George.

James proclaimed: “You may be sure that I love the Earl of Buckingham more than anyone else… I wish to speak in my own behalf and not to have it thought to be a defect, for Jesus Christ did the same, and therefore I cannot be blamed. Christ had his John, and I have my George."

Porcelain with enamel decoration

The Eight Immortals are Daoist deities from Chinese culture. They lived forever and had special powers that allowed them to heal the sick, turn invisible, and even bring the dead back to life. They were the superheroes of Chinese legend, fighting the forces of evil.

At The Burrell Collection, you can come face-to-face with our porcelain figures of the Eight Immortals, including Lan Caihe, shown in a green flowing robe. The gender of Lan Caihe is unknown, and some believe they were without gender. The figure of Lan Caihe appears androgynous – neither male nor female.