Bicyclists, Spain
Artist
Paul Cadmus
(American, 1904 - 1999)
Date1934
MediumEtching
Dimensions9 3/4 x 5 in.
ClassificationsIntaglio
Credit LineWilliam F. Brooks Fund
Terms
Object number1978.24
DescriptionWhile traveling to Europe from 1931-34 with his companion and fellow artist, Jared French, Cadmus etched "Bicyclists, Spain" during his stay there. A parody of himself and French, Cadmus infused the work with an incredible sense of wit and humor. Like many of his drawings, etchings, and paintings of the 1930s and 40s, Cadmus captured a moment in daily life and critiqued one of his pastimes. He seemed to stereotype and typify Jerry and himself. By exaggerating their anatomical and facial features, Cadmus rendered the two figures in a slightly awkward and grotesque manner, thus enhancing the satirical quality of the work. One might also argue that "Bicyclists, Spain" contains a latent element of homoeroticism (a predominant, controversial theme prevalent in many of Cadmus' male portraits) given the close proximity of the men, their pose, and their fixed expressions. Cadmus was heavily influenced by Italian Renaissance art, the Old Masters, and the classical ideal of male beauty. He created an academic portrait but challenged commonly accepted conventions of human anatomy by oddly foreshortening and elongating the figures' bodies in order to accentuate the peculiar and bizarre characteristics of him and French.On View
Not on view
