Vintage swordplay #4
May 21, 2010
The Crusader by George Quaintance (1943).
Continuing an occasional series, I was hoping to find the original photo which George Quaintance used as a model for this painting but failed dismally. I did find the photo below, however, a piece of Roman camp by beefcake photographer Alonzo Hanagan, aka ‘Lon of New York’ on this Boy Culture post where Hanagan is interviewed about his work.
Elsewhere on { feuilleton }
• The men with swords archive
• The gay artists archive
5 comments or trackbacks
#1 posted by Jeremiah Q. Oxterwhiff
May 21st, 2010
The Roman camp seems more 19th Century Napoleonic era to me – I’m fairly sure that’s a French cavalryman’s helmet and sword. Mind you, I like the broken column – metaphor for detumescence?
#2 posted by John
May 21st, 2010
Yes, I did nearly write “Classical camp” which is probably more fitting since these things are so vague, and the Napoleonic era is the Neoclassical period. Anachronisms are a hallmark of this kind of thing.
#3 posted by angelitocurioso
Feb 1st, 2011
these nude men with sword,do’nt are named also “spartan”?
#4 posted by RIMAVINCUS
Jul 2nd, 2011
I know the name of the model who posed for the Lon photo, who was introduced to Quaintance, who used the photo for his painting.
#5 posted by John
Jul 2nd, 2011
Hi Rimavincus. If I’d have been more diligent I would have noticed that the answer to the model’s identity was in the George Quaintance book I’ve had for a while. It was Fred Boisiewick who also posed for other paintings.