Pavel Tcheletchew

Today I'm doing a second series on the well connected Russian emigre' Pavel Tcheletchew.  

The photo above is by Carl van Vechten.  For some biographical details go here .

 

Drawing

This drawing is widely attributed to Tchelitchew, but there is no date or title.

 

Wrestlers 1932

Tchelitchew called this 1932 piece "Wrestlers," but I think they're doing something else.

 

Untitled 1930

I'd really like toknow the story behind this untitled 1930 Tchelitchew drawing.

 

Bathers

Tchelitchew's perspective is interesting in The Bathers from 1938.

 

George Platt Lynes

Pavel Tcheltichew became friends with George Platt Lynes shortly after arriving in New York.  The great photographer liked the artist's work and took several photos of him.  He did at least three portraits of Mr. Lynes, and they are below.

 

Mirror

This painting of a man at a mirror is rather different from most of Tchetchilew's work.

No one seems to have a title for it, and a few experts question the attribution.

 

Feral Benga

I really like this portrait of Feral Benga, a Senegalese dancer who became better known as a model.  He also posed for George Platt Lynes, Richmond Barthe', Carl van Vechten, and others.  The 1938 Tchelitchew painting below is called Deposition, and it was owned by Lincoln Kirstein, a close friend of Lynes and the brother-in-law of Paul Cadmus.  Mr. Kirstein will get his own series soon.

 

Fallen Man

This is Fallen Man, and I haven't been able to find a date for it.

Tchelitchew made the face small and the package large.

 

Robert Petit

Our last Tchelitchew work is a painting of Robert Petit, a model who posed 

for at least two other works by the artist.  I'll post those in future series.

 

Christmas Triple Feature, Part 1 - Gay Couples

I've put together a Christmas Day triple feature, and part one is some very G rated couples who are said to have been documented as gay.  What I saw on the website where I found them inclines me to accept that.  We start with two handsome guys on tuffets, one with Argyle socks.

When you look at this set, please remember how difficult the lives of these men likely were.  

If they were found out, they could have been rejected by their families, evicted from their 

homes, fired from their jobs, assaulted, or arrested.  Their courage and steadfastness 

should be an inspiration for us to remain vigilant and even militant because 

there are people today who would take us back to that or worse.

 

Happy

I can tell that these two are enjoying their Christmas . . . and each other.

 

Ed and Norbert

I find it both touching and courageous that Ed and Norbert put their picture on their Christmas cards. I hope they enjoyed many years of happiness together.  The more I look at that photograph, 

the more I can feel their love.  It's quite extraordinary.

 

Latin Lovers

I really like this one of two Latino guys embracing in front of a sumptuous tree.

 

A beery Merry Christmas

These two seem to have given each other matching beer tankards, 

and the guy on the right looks like he's had a few.

 

Christmas Triple Feature, Part 2 - A Charlie Day Christmas

 For all you very good boys Uncle Jerry has a special Christmas gift . . . five shots of Charlie Day celebrating with some sailor friends

Whenever I post photos of Charlie Day, aka Bob Wilson, I get a lot of swoons in the comments and drooling requests for more.  So for Christmas, I've managed to find a Bob Mizer movie called Christmas Night at the Grand Hotel that features Charlie Day.  While I found it on my own, I had to go over to James' blog at Men From Back Then to find the title and the names of the cast.  

Thanks, James!  We start with a lineup of the non-Santa models and a closeup below.

Would you look at that thatch poking out of the pouch?

Huh?

I don't know what the crew is doing here.  Maybe Charlie Day and 

the other guy are doing some kind of sailor Christmas lucky wish ritual.

 

Santa Arrives

Santa and his sack of goodies have arrived and the sailors are all asleep.

The Grand Hotel doesn't look too grand to me, but whatever.

Here's a better look at Charlie Day below.  My, oh my!!!

 

Gift Distribution

Santa  has started handing out the presents to the now awakened crew.  I cropped out a closeup of Charlie Day below.  He fills that posing pouch nicely.  The cast from left to right are David Jones,

 Ray Cox, George Reichley, Gary Herman, and Bob Wilson, aka Charlie Day.

Thanks again to James at Men From Back Then for the movie and cast ID!

 

Riot

Some sort of riot seems to have broken out, but unlike some fights on Mizer movie sets, 

this one appears to have been part of the script, assuming they had one.

Charlie Day seems to have landed at the bottom of the people pile.