Thursday, July 7, 2011

Danilo of Darkover miniature



I rescued Danilo from the obscurity of a poor photograph from 1982. Thirty years ago (!) most of us had no idea that such a thing as Photoshop's digital restoration would be possible. Danilo was a much-loved Darkover character who appeared in a number of M.Z. Bradley's tales as well as in endless reams of fan fiction. He was the gay partner of the noble and heroic Regis Hastur, hero of the Bradley book THE HERITAGE OF HASTUR. Thirty years ago it was far more unacceptable to be openly gay, even in the fantasy fan community which claimed to welcome diverse sorts of people. Danilo and his lover Regis became symbols of the struggle of homosexuals to gain their rightful place in society free of prejudice and bullying. This miniature portrait, done in a Renaissance style, was made for a Darkover fan who, whether gay or straight, simply liked the character.

Danilo nametag miniature is ink and watercolor on Fabriano paper, 2 1/4" x 3 1/2", February 1982.

1 comment:

Tristan Alexander said...

Very nice! It does have a good Renaissance feel!