Fame can be an odd thing sometimes. Like how some people bathe in it whilst at the same time others with equal talents get to linger in the dark. When it comes to queer artists there is an obvious comparison between the legendary Tom of Finland and the extremely talented artist George Quaintance who for some reason, is known to too few people in our community,
Quaintance was one of the major ’male physique’ artists of the 1940s and early ’50s, His work appeared in magazines such as Physique Pictorial, Demi-Gods, and Body Beautiful. It unquestionably inspired a whole generation of artists who were to follow, including Tom of Finland,
As Quaintance lived and worked during an era when homosexuality was totally illegal, his paintings and physique photos could not depict a penis. Nevertheless, he pushed it as far as he could to a limit of borderline legality.
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His masculine fantasy world populated by Latin lovers, lusty cowboys, and chiseled ranch hands, retains its seductive allure. Nowadays they are highly prized and rarely come to auction, instead of selling privately for undisclosed sums.
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