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Friday, April 2, 2021

Side by Side Comparisons of Sculpture and Photos


There was such a steady stream of Classical influences on the mid-20th Century physique photographers, that side by side comparisons can sometimes be quite close.  Today we'll look at some composites demonstrating that, and we start with an almost literal take on Hercules.
And no, I didn't create these myself, having found them on random websites.

 

11 comments:

  1. What an absolutely fascinating series... There was a huge Classical revival in mid- to late-Victorian times in Western societies, which informed the curricula of both schools and places of higher education, and so the photographers of the mid-20th century would have been thoroughly immersed in Classical themes. It's one thing to know about it, but quite another actually to see it!

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  2. Photography inspired by classic sculpture is always delightful to see. Thanks for bringing them to your page.

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    1. You're more than welcome! I've enjoyed this one more than usual myself.

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  3. The model has massive and impressive thighs...

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  4. As you would expect from me. Many thanks for this informative series. This first one is so close, with his physique so similar to the statue, if only the model were also bearded.

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    1. You're welcome, David. The comparison in this one is so literal that I suspect the photographer had a photo of the statue for the model to copy. Bearded models were virtually unheard of and impossible to find at the time this was made. I have tens of thousands of posed photos from the period of 1935-65, and there are less than half a dozen men with beards.

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    2. L'homme de droite est une vision exceptionnelle de la virilite.

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    3. Yes, an exceptional vision of the male form !
      -Rj in the IE.

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