Macho men

macho.jpg

An ad campaign which can’t possibly be ignored given the present train of obsessions. Andrés Ramírez photographs a collection of tight packages for underwear manufacturer, Macho. I’m not sure what a group of Roman gladiators would be doing sparring in what appears to be a Bollywood boudoir like the one in Moulin Rouge! but, ya know…underwear and swords… Consistency is the hobgoblin of fevered imaginations.

Via Queerty.

Elsewhere on { feuilleton }
The men with swords archive

Battle of the Naked Men

pollaiuolo.jpg

An engraving from circa 1470 by Antonio Pollaiuolo (1433–1498), presented in part for all those who arrive here searching for “naked men” although this also fits the men with swords category. One-handed Googlers will no doubt be disappointed by a mere drawing but that’s their problem. The British Museum site looks at the possible interpretations of this work and speculates about its creation.

Elsewhere on { feuilleton }
The men with swords archive
The etching and engraving archive

Previously on { feuilleton }
Behold the (naked) man

Cocteau’s sword

cocteau1.jpg

Jean Cocteau looking nothing less than fabulous in what I guess is 1955 since the writer is sporting his Académie française medal, an award bestowed upon him that year. The ceremonial sword is his own design, needless to say, and the curiously-tinted photographs are by Frank Scherschel for LIFE. The colours and lavish decor—those metallic palm trees—aren’t so far removed from the photographs of James Bidgood although the milieu certainly is. I doubt Cocteau would mind who the photographer was if Bidgood’s favourite model, Bobby Kendall, was in the picture with him.

cocteau2.jpg

cocteau3.jpg

Elsewhere on { feuilleton }
The men with swords archive

Previously on { feuilleton }
Cristalophonics: searching for the Cocteau sound
Cocteau at the Louvre des Antiquaires
James Bidgood
La Villa Santo Sospir by Jean Cocteau