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Tuesday, July 31, 2012

2012 / Visual Art Romney's "Collar-Ad Handsome"=Gay, Gay, Gay

Posted by Jen Graves on Tue, Jul 31, 2012 at 10:37 AM

COURTESY NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
WHICH ONE IS ROMNEY? You decide.

In the email forward being circulated by a Mormon grandparent, one of Mitt Romney's great attributes is that he's "collar-ad handsome." Paul points out that the reference is probably to the famous Arrow collar ads of the early 20th-century.

What the Mormon grandparent may not know is that the creator of those ads, J.C. Leyendecker, was gay, gay, gay—and so were his images, if you have half a gaydar (or, frankly, even if you don't—just look at these half-exposed nipples and bulging packages and poodles). His paintings are packed with codes, jokes, and tender moments between men, sometimes gazing at each other even when they're being posed as the picture-perfect husbands of wives sitting right next to them. You clicked on that link, right?

Leyendecker (1874-1951) wasn't out in the contemporary sense; he couldn't be. But his images often featured his lifelong partner, Charles Beach, including the painting above, where the figure on the left is modeled on Beach. That painting is called Men Reading, and it was created in 1914 to be used in an ad. The painting spent this spring in Tacoma as part of Hide/Seek, the art exhibition that was censored after being attacked by the Catholic League in Washington, D.C., then traveled to the Brooklyn Museum and Tacoma Art Museum. (Two out gay artists in Seattle, Joey Veltkamp and Jeffry Mitchell, responded to Hide/Seek here.)

Mormon grandparent jaws are about to drop.

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Are they finished with Men's Swimming yet?

I want to know when there's something on for us heterosexuals to watch...

Posted by Supreme Ruler Of The Universe

on July 31, 2012 at 10:41 AM

OMG! Everything near and dear is gay! I luv it!!!

Posted by silvertears on July 31, 2012 at 10:51 AM

@1 - There were teenage girls crying yesterday. Did you miss that one?

Posted by MacCrocodile

on July 31, 2012 at 10:52 AM

Was it the Mormon grandfather or the Mormon grandmother who sent it?

And who wrote it?

Posted by seatackled on July 31, 2012 at 10:52 AM

My neck feels chafed just from looking at those collars.

Posted by jzimbert on July 31, 2012 at 10:56 AM

While I'm sure there are many straight male illustrators who can draw attractive men, these have a certain unmistakable sensual "pop" I suspect only a gay illustrator can provide (just as a gay illustrator can draw Marilyn Monroe as a "pretty girl" and Vargas draws pin-ups) - These are terrific artistically and historically, so thanks.

Posted by Jaymz on July 31, 2012 at 11:23 AM

I look forward to the next mailing with a Tom of Finland theme.

Posted by CC-Rob on July 31, 2012 at 12:09 PM

This was back in the day when the collar was separate from the shirt! Times was odd!

Posted by Max Solomon on July 31, 2012 at 12:17 PM

@8 I believe the reason for detachable collars was so you can wear the shirt multiple times between laundering and simply change out the collar for a fresh and crisp new one. Life was dustier, dingier and sweatier in the olden times.
Oh and that guy handling that giant oar has some sore looking knees.

Posted by knobtheunicorn on July 31, 2012 at 12:40 PM

The fact that Leyendecker was married and deeply closeted would probably make him OK with that crowd. Anyway, have you seen some of the homoerotic illustrations in the Book of Mormon? Stripling army, indeed.

Posted by Joe Glibmoron on July 31, 2012 at 12:44 PM

@10 They like their forearms, I'll say.

Posted by floater on July 31, 2012 at 1:26 PM

Holy crap. I think "Easter, 1930" has got to be the gayest painting of a clothed man I have ever seen.

Posted by Reverse Polarity on July 31, 2012 at 2:01 PM

@10 Leyendecker was never married but lived, rather openly, with his mate Charles Beach. Beach inherited JC's estate and outlived him by only a year. That JCL was coyly in the closet professionally is not surprising in his time. He clearly made the most of it on every level. Good for him is all I can say. Have loved those images since I discerned a difference between men and women.

Posted by Greg Kucera on August 3, 2012 at 11:59 PM