Homosexualita a staré umění: poznámky k interpretaci mužských renesančních portrétů

The paper is concerned with the problematic of one of the aspects of the perception of the male portrait of the Renaissance. The article is a separate chapter of the master’s thesis devoted to the male portrait of friends in Italian Renaissance painting. The contemporary (current) viewer can perceive old masters portraits rather ambiguously, including as images of homosexuals. However, for such statements is necessary to realize very confidently what exactly “homosexuality” means and whether such a concept existed in the past. In addition, it is necessary to have as much knowledge as possible about the most varied aspects of the period under study, while always be aware that our knowledge is very mediocre and limited. The author critically analyzes the studies, in which the problem of the representation of homosexuality in old art is touched upon, and tries to identify methodological warnings for further interpretations. In conclusion, the author proposes new open discourses for future research in this field, encourages researchers to take a fresh look at not only the portraits of the Renaissance, but also at their own interpretations.