Before "Tom of Finland" There Was the Erotic Gay "Physique Art" of George Quaintance

Though famous male dancer Gene Kelly was not gay,
for many decades gays have worshiped him for his virile good looks and
fantastic physique from his Broadway and MGM musicals of the 1940s
and 1950s (sorry, no we do not know the size of his penis so don't ask).

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GAY PRIDE MONTH FEATURE: June is "Gay Pride Month" and we feature the fantastic -- but forgotten -- erotic physique art of George Quaintance.  "Tom of Finland" was a famous gay erotic artist (1920-1991) -- but his beloved style came partially from George Quaintance (1902-1957) -- a pioneer of "gay erotic physique art" in a time when drawings of the penis was not accepted.

Classic "Tom of Finland" artwork.

But long before Tom became a legend in the gay community, the FIRST gay artist specializing in gay erotic art was George Quaintance (1902-1957). You can see similarities in both artists' style in Quaintance's art below, but Quaintance came BEFORE "Tom of Finland." He was the first pioneer of gay erotic art.  It was George Quaintance who taught "Tom of Finland" his fantastic style.

"Night in the Desert" George Quaintance

"Saturday Night" George Quaintance

Gays have long admired erotic physique art of cowboys.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO ARTISTS:  Quaintance lived and worked during an era when homosexuality was repressed. His paintings and physique photos COULD NOT DEPICT A PENIS -- but Tom of Finland, who lived in a different time zone DID depict the penis in much of his art.  Ref: "The Flamboyant Life and Forbidden Art of George Quaintance."