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My secret existence that's not so hush-hush anymore.



This is a collection of my thoughts, writings, musings,

and a place to collect my various blog projects into one place. (SEE the list of my other blogs on right side-bar).

Thursday, October 22, 2009

The Swimming Hole






 

Yesterday, the featured article on Wikipedia was The Swimming Hole by Thomas Eakins, a painting near and dear to many a naturist and/or gay man's heart.  Perhaps it encouraged others to try skinny-dipping!
 
 
The article had this to say:
"In this work, Eakins took advantage of an exception to the generally prudish Victorian attitude to nudity: swimming naked was widely accepted,[5] and for males was seen as normal, even in public spaces. Eakins was the first American artist to portray one of the few occasions in 19th century life when nudity was on display.
...

Although the theme of male bathers was familiar in Western art, having been explored by artists from Michelangelo to Daumier,[7] Eakins' treatment was novel in American art at the time. The Swimming Hole has been "widely cited as a prime example of homoeroticism in American art".[8] In 2008, the art critic Tom Lubbock described Eakins' work as:

a classic of American painting. It shows a scene of healthy, manly, outdoor activity: a group of young fellows having stripped off for a dip. It is based on the swimming excursions that were enjoyed by the artist and his students. Eakins himself appears in the water at bottom right – in signature position, so to speak."

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The above post and photographic reproduction were forwarded in a group message
From: FreeSpirit on the following Yahoo Groups: [ymna2] [earthyman]  [skinnydip-freehike]

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