A major exhibition opening in 2027 and a recently published book are placing LGBTQIA+ narratives at the centre of Belgian art history, arguing that queer stories have long been present in artworks but have often been overlooked, ignored or reinterpreted through a heterosexual lens.

The exhibition, ‘Queer Belgian Art 1400–1950‘, will run from 20 February to 30 May 2027 at the Museum of Fine Arts Ghent, Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent (MSK). According to the museum, it is the first exhibition to examine art from the Southern Netherlands and Belgium through an LGBTQIA+ perspective, bringing together five centuries of artworks and historical figures whose lives, relationships and identities challenged the social norms of their time.

The exhibition is the result of four years of research and aims to reveal queer stories that have often remained hidden in museum collections. Visitors will encounter artworks exploring same-sex intimacy, gender nonconformity and relationships that fell outside accepted conventions. The museum says the project seeks to encourage a broader and more open understanding of Belgian art history.

Among the works selected for the exhibition are François-Joseph Navez‘s ‘The Nymph Salmacis and Hermaphroditus‘ (1829), Elisa de Gamond‘s ‘Lost Nymph from Diana’s Retinue‘ (c. 1826), Paul Delvaux‘s ‘The Staircase‘ (1946), Louis Maeterlinck‘s ‘Cruel Love‘ (1889), Marguerite Putsage‘s ‘Sleeping Woman Seen from the Back‘ (1937 or earlier), Frans Van Holder‘s ‘Portrait of Art Critic Sander Pierron‘ (1909) and Théo Van Rysselberghe‘s ‘The Reading by Emile Verhaeren‘ (1903).

The term “queer” originally meant strange or unusual in English, but since the 1980s it has been reclaimed by LGBTQIA+ communities as an umbrella term for identities and experiences that fall outside traditional sexual and gender norms. The exhibition adopts that broad definition, applying it not only to contemporary identities but also to historical lives and relationships that did not conform to the expectations of their era.

‘Art out of the closet’

The exhibition follows the publication of the book ‘Kunst uit de kast‘ (‘Art out of the Closet‘) by art historian Thijs Dekeukeleire and historian Jonas Roelens. The authors examine fifty artworks from Belgian art history through a queer lens and argue that LGBTQIA+ themes have frequently been overlooked or erased from historical interpretations.

Their study ranges from the bearded Saint Wilgefortis and the enduring gay iconography surrounding Saint Sebastian to explicit depictions of same-sex desire. According to the authors, historical researchers have often preferred non-romantic explanations for relationships that may have been queer. They point to examples from international archaeology and art history where intimate relationships between people of the same sex have routinely been described as friendships or family ties, even when the evidence suggests something more.

The book argues that queer interpretations are often held to a higher standard of proof than heterosexual ones. A man and a woman depicted together are frequently assumed to be a couple, the authors note, while two men or two women are usually described as friends unless there is overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

From medieval manuscripts to Rubens and Van Dyck

The authors stress that examining art history through a queer perspective requires balance. Over-interpretation risks imposing modern identities on historical figures, while excessive caution can contribute to their continued invisibility.

The fifty selected works cover a wide chronological range. Some require detailed contextual analysis, while others are more direct. Medieval examples include ‘Templar Kisses the Anus of a Clergyman‘ (c. 1350) and ‘Kneeling Man Under Tree Displays Phallus to Half-Naked Fool‘ (14th century).

The book also highlights a 1578 print by Frans Hogenberg depicting monks accused of sodomy being burned at the stake in Bruges, as well as a fourteenth-century representation of Sodom featuring a group of embracing men. In that artwork, parts of the image where penises had originally been visible appear to have been deliberately erased at a later date.

Another example is a provocative drawing by Félicien Rops depicting a masturbating devil. Originally intended for the series ‘Les Sataniques‘, the image was ultimately considered too controversial, even by Rops himself, and was replaced by an alternative version.

The authors also revisit the work of Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck. Rubens’s ‘The Rape of Ganymede‘ (1636–1638) is discussed for its homoerotic undertones, while Van Dyck’s numerous depictions of Saint Sebastian are presented as combining religious imagery with a distinctly sensual aesthetic.

A section of the book focuses on writer Georges Eekhoud, described as Belgium’s first openly homosexual author. At a time when male homosexuality was rarely discussed publicly, Eekhoud celebrated same-sex love in his novel ‘Escal-Vigor‘, which tells the story of a passionate relationship between a count and a farmer’s son.

Women remain less visible

One notable challenge identified by the authors is the relative absence of women. Lesbian and queer women are often doubly marginalised in historical records, both as women and as members of sexual minorities.

Nevertheless, examples do exist. The book discusses ‘Women’s Bath‘ by Jan Gossaert, in which one figure has been interpreted by some art historians as engaging in self-pleasure, adding an erotic dimension to the scene.

The authors also examine Rops’s ‘Mam’zelle Gravoche‘ (1879), portraying a woman who rejects conventional femininity. Dressed in men’s clothing, with short hair and an unadorned appearance, she projects confidence and independence rather than serving as an object of male desire.

While depictions of male homosexuality were often hidden or coded, lesbian imagery occasionally appeared more openly in nineteenth-century art. However, such works were frequently created for a heterosexual male audience and reflected voyeuristic perspectives rather than authentic representations of lesbian experience.

Building towards a landmark exhibition

The publication of ‘Kunst uit de kast’ has been compared with the influential exhibition ‘Queer British Art 1861–1967‘, staged by Tate Britain in 2017. Although critics note that Belgium may lack the concentration of internationally recognised queer artists found in Britain, the country’s artistic heritage still contains significant examples, from Rubens and Van Dyck to Rops, James Ensor and contemporary artists such as Kasper Bosmans, Bart Heynen and Sofie Muller.

For many readers and art lovers, the book’s greatest achievement may be that it sparks curiosity about the forthcoming exhibition in Ghent. By bringing together artworks created between 1400 and 1950, ‘Queer Belgian Art 1400–1950’ aims to demonstrate that queer experiences are not a recent phenomenon but have been woven into the fabric of Belgian cultural history for centuries, even when those stories remained hidden in plain sight.