Study for "Bar Italia"

Paul CadmusWW-1949-135927

1949·Pen and black ink, over graphite, on ivory tracing paper·31.8 × 38.1 cm (12 9/16 × 15 in.)

<p>Paul Cadmus was adept at both adapting the drawing techniques of the Old Masters and engaging contemporary viewers. He paid close attention to the relationships between the people he depicted, using such devices as eye contact or the direction of a gaze to suggest underlying meaning. His characters frequently display feelings of boredom or a distracted sexuality. In 1934 Cadmus achieved national celebrity when his painting <em>The Fleet’s In!</em> was removed by order of the Navy from a Public Works of Art Project exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., because it depicted a gay man seducing a willing sailor. Following this incident, his content became more suggestive than explicit.</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1949
Medium: Pen and black ink, over graphite, on ivory tracing paper
Dimensions: 31.8 × 38.1 cm (12 9/16 × 15 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Paul Cadmus

Artist

Paul Cadmus

Painting

Paul Cadmus was an American artist widely known for his egg tempera paintings of gritty social interactions in urban settings. He also produced many highly finished drawings of single nude male figures. His paintings combine elements of eroticism and social critique in a style often called magic realism.

New York, NY, USA

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