Eakins' Models

1. Thomas Eakins posed nude himself in the 1880's.

2. Eakins nude playing pipes - 1883.

3. Eakins and J. Laurie Wallace nude on the bank - 1883.

4. Eakins and Wallace nude on bank from behind - 1883

I've mentioned Thomas Eakins before, but he deserves another visit. Like Marconi, Eakins blurred the line between photography and fine art. He photographed his models, painted them, occasionally stepped in front of the camera himself, and even included himself in works like Swimming. 

5. Reference photo for Eakins' painting Swimming - 1885. Also included in this photo is his model, Billy Duckett and himself climbing out of the water far right.  The models were said to be his art students at UPenn in Philadelphia.

6. Swimming (sometimes labeled Swimming Hole) by Eakins - 1885. Eakins painted himself into the painting as the swimmer in lower right corner.

Living in Philadelphia also connects him to another recent subject, Eadweard Muybridge, who collaborated with him on motion studies.

7. Billy Duckett sitting profile in a chair - 1889 - by Eakins

8. Billy Duckett reclining on side - 1889 - by Eakins

This set follows a few of those threads through boxer Billy "Turkey Point" Smith, longtime model Billy Duckett, and the photographs behind paintings like Swimming and Wrestlers. 

9. Between Rounds -1889 - painted by Thomas Eakins with his model, Billy "Turkey Point" Smith, as central figure. Smith and Eakins remained close friends (and possibly more) between the time of this painting and the end of Eakins' life in 1916. Smith was Eakins primary caretaker in his final years of failing health.

10. Billy Smith close-up in Between Rounds.

It's another reminder that these images rarely existed in isolation. One photograph often became a painting, and one model could shape an artist's work for years.

11. Joseph McCann (top) was another Eakins model who posed for his painting Wrestlers in 1899.

12. Wrestlers by Thomas Eakins - 1899.

Please leave thoughts, questions or corrections in the comments. Thank you. bns

Rodin's Models

My recent post on Gaudenzio Marconi opened another door I hadn't fully appreciated before: how often photographers, painters, sculptors, and their models crossed paths. The history of the male figure isn't divided neatly into separate disciplines. There is far more crossover than I had realized, and photography played a significant role in the evolution of many fields beyond its own...including arts, sciences, and sports.

1. Jean Baud (1853-?) posed for Auguste Rodin in the early 1900s - including his iconic sculpture Le Penseur, The Thinker.

2. Jean Baud upper body and face was a French prizefighter and wrestler during the turn of the 20th century.

3. The Thinker - 1904 - Rodin (based on model Jean Baud).

This set begins with Jean Baud, whose body inspired The Thinker. It continues with Auguste Neyt, photographed by Marconi as the model for Rodin's The Age of Bronze (who I featured in yesterday's post), and ends with Athlete model, Samual Stockton White III and Antoine Bourdelle, who not only modeled for Rodin but later worked in his studio before becoming an accomplished sculptor himself. The more I dig, the more these creative worlds seem interconnected.

4. Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) by George Charles Beresford.

5. Auguste Neyt (1855-?) modeled for Rodin's Age of Bronze in 1877 - photo by Gaudenzio Marconi.

6. Rodin's Age of Bronze from behind cropped (based on Marconi's photos of model, Neyt).

7. Rodin's Age of Bronze side view cropped.

8. Samual Stockton White III (1876-1952)  posed for Rodin's Athlete - 1901-1904. Hopefully you can read the caption clearly.  Stockton White III was discovered by bodybuilder, Eugen Sandow, and won one of his strongman competitions and was introduced to Rodin by Sandow.

9. Rodin's Athlete - 1901-1904 - based on his model S.S. White III.

10. Antoine Bourdelle (1861-1929) modeled for Rodin and worked in his studio before becoming a sculptor himself.

11. Antoine Bourdelle's Adam - 1889. Bourdelle was also a celebrated painter and credited as a teacher for Henri Matisse.

Please leave thoughts, questions or corrections in the comments. Thank you. bns

Marconi

Gaudenzio Marconi (1841–1885) may not be recognizable today, but his photographs quietly shaped the history of Western art. Working in Paris and later Brussels, Marconi specialized in académies—carefully posed nude studies made as reference material for painters and sculptors. 

1a. Auguste Neyt posed for Gaudenzio in 1877 as reference for Auguste Rodin's Age of Bronze sculpture.

1b. Neyt rear view.

1c. Rodin's Age of Bronze.

His photographs walked an interesting line. They were marketed as educational tools for artists, yet they also possessed an undeniable sensuality that kept them circulating far beyond the classroom.

2. Side reclining academic nude by Marconi inspired by Michelangelo's Adam.

3. Seated academic nude by Marconi c.1865.

One of Marconi's most important collaborations came in 1877 when Auguste Rodin asked him to photograph the Belgian soldier Auguste Neyt, whose body became the model for The Age of Bronze (see images 1-3 above). Marconi also photographed the finished sculpture itself, and Rodin marked up many of those prints with pencil as working studies. 

4. Nude model rear view by Marconi.

5. Nude model front view by Marconi.

I continue to be fascinated by how often photographers crossed paths with painters, sculptors, dancers, and filmmakers. Marconi and Rodin. Marey and cinema. Muybridge and Eakins. Lynes and PaJaMa. Bellas and bodybuilding. Again and again, the same artists, models, and ideas appear across disciplines, each influencing the next. 

6. Nude model seated side view by Marconi.

7. Nude model standing rear view by Marconi.

The Age of Bronze has held a special place for me since childhood. I grew up visiting the Minneapolis Institute of Art, where Rodin's sculpture was on display, and I found myself stopping to admire it every time. 

8. Nude model standing with one arm overhead by Marconi.

9. Nude model in side lying contrapposto reaching overhead by Marconi.

Only years later did I discover that behind one of my favorite sculptures stood another artist with a camera. It reminds me that some of art history's greatest works were born not from a single genius, but through collaboration. 

10. Muscular man in 3/4 view carrying a weight on his shoulder by Marconi.

Please leave thoughts, questions, or corrections in the comments. Thank you. bns

Groups - Part 2

Group shots also open the door to different kinds of fantasy. A pair naturally suggests a relationship between two people. 

1. Dusty Haven and three unknown models on a sail boat. I know Dusty modeled for Mizer, but I don't know who took this photo or who the other models are.

2. Three unknown models setting sail.

Three or more bodies create something broader—a circle, a team, a gathering. The extra bodies soften the boundaries of the scene and make the viewer feel invited into an established world of male company.

3. Three unknown models climbing on what appears to be a dilapidated dock. This seems like a more recent photo, but I cannot find any info.

4. Studio shot of three unidentified models by Christopher Makos (1948-present) who is an American photographer and visual artist who was a friend and collaborator with Andy Warhol known for his photos of queer icons, celebrities, and male nudes.

5. Unknown model on display by a group of men by Australian artist Troy Schooneman (1966-present).

Sometimes that world is playful camaraderie or male bonding—the kind of utopia men's retreats advertise. Other times it drifts toward fantasies like the ménage à trois or the orgy. The photographs don't have to depict either one for those ideas to linger in the background. 

6. Howard Heidtmann, Don Hawksley, and Juwa Lavonce by Bob Mizer - 1960s.  The chains, boots, pistol, and posing straps are so random and classic AMG from that period.

7. Four models including Bill Eld (2nd from right) and possibly Boyd Winner (far right facing away with foot up) at the pool table.  I am guessing this is by Jim French, but don't quote me.

8. Three models including Bruno (far right) and Wade Neff aka Dennis Parker (far left--who recorded "Like an Eagle I'm a Dancer"--thanks, Boz!) on a deck with a barbell in the background.

Whether they're showering, sailing, wrestling, getting it on, or simply standing shoulder to shoulder, these images are ultimately about something beyond the individual body. They're about men in the company of other men.

9. Six unknown models in a scene that looks like a strip poker match between two queen beds. The man at center seems to be enjoying the game.

10. Paul Tischler in the center of a group shower scene with Derrick Stanton, J.W. King, and R.J. Reynolds (L-R) from the magazine, Tubs, in 1980.

Please leave any thoughts, questions or corrections in the comments.  I have a lot of missing IDs here and am guessing on a few, so please fill in any blanks. Thank you. bns

Groups - Part 1

The next two posts shift from solo models and pairs to groups of three or more. It may seem like a small change, but these images carry a different energy—even if it's subtle. There's strength and safety in numbers. 

1. Unknown models by Gaudenzio Marconi (1841-1885), a Swiss-Italian photographer who took took reference photos for Auguste Rodin and had studios in France and Belgium in the late 19th century.

2. Unknown models and photographer in what I've gathered is a study for visual artists.

A single nude man can feel vulnerable. Two men often create a kind of closed intimacy. Add a third, fourth, or fifth body and something changes. The scene becomes more open, more communal. In some cases that leans toward playfulness; in others, it creates a kind of erotic synergy.

3. Three unknown models in water...print dated SEPT 68.

4. Four unknown models in bulldog position in the water with amused fifth in the background.

5. A photorealistic untitled painting of five men in the water by Filipino 21st century artist, Orley Ypon (1973-present)...a wild card in this set, but fits the theme too perfectly.

6. A shot from Fire Island Pines: Polaroids 1975-1983 series by Tom Bianchi (1945-present) depicting the halcyon years before the AIDS crisis in NYC.

From a photographer's perspective, groups also change the composition. To fit everyone into the frame, the camera often has to pull back, especially if the surrounding environment is part of the story. The bodies become a little smaller, your eye moves from one model to the next, and then to the chemistry between them. 

7. Three unknown models in bed together with a fireplace in the background. I personally like the rising level changes from the foreground to the background, forced perspective, and line of action leading the eye from the erection at the bottom of the frame up to the model's face at the top in this composition.

8. Three unknown models in bed together. I like how all three figures share a common focal point.

These sets range from climbing trees and flying kites to billiards, sailing, and plenty of other moments of male company. As always, if anyone recognizes these unidentified models, I'd love to hear more about them.

9. Three unknown models lined up (apparently by size) outdoors.

10. A photo by Jean Ferrero labeled "Christian Ferrand and Friends in the Dunes" featuring Mick Magar (left) and Bud Lanter (center) (Thank you, Jerry!)- 1962.

Please share thoughts, questions or corrections in the comments.  I have several unidentified models in this set. If you have any info or leads, please share. Thank you. bns