Homosexuality has always existed, but for centuries artists have felt compelled to codify its expression in their work, in essence hiding it from the public eye. In this dazzling and highly original book, Dominique Fernandez takes a close look at artistic works from the past centuries — from rites of passage into manhood and representations of the hero, to the pantheon of pagan gods and the image of the lesbian — to show how the most powerful representations of homosexuality have emerged from conditions of secrecy and even repression.