Art Bob 3 - Games and Puzzles

Art Bob - Unknown Title

We're missing the title of this image and without it the intent is far from clear. These men in a locker room seem to be playing dice, but why? Apart from the foreground figure everyone is already naked, not surprising in a locker room, but it seems to rule out gambling for clothes. Perhaps, some other forfeit is in play - or is there a prize for the winner? Perhaps the one staring us in the face?

 

There's a faint hint of a spanking for the kneeling guy and the intertwining of the leftmost pair is slightly suggestive too. The head and reaching arm lined up with the lower regions of the man in the foreground might also be significant, but it's all very obscure.  

 

Though muscular, the characters in this drawing are not Art Bob's best creations, you can't help thinking that the foreground figure might be a better bet, if only we could see more of him. Ah, well!

 

Art Bob - Low Score

 There's a similar mystery around this image - even with the title. Another locker room, this time one for golfers who are not normally a subject for homoerotic imagery. However, golfing terminology has much to offer. Here for example it appears a round of 'threesomes' has just finished. 

 

The hairy hunk in the foreground is studying his scorecard, and his face seems to be flushed. It's presumably him who has got the low score, which would make him the winner, but he doesn't look very happy about it. The slender pencil held between his drooping fingers, certainly doesn't suggest any other form of excitement either. 

 

By contrast, behind him, his companions already look as if they are shaping up to celebrate the 19th hole with some inappropriate activity. The one on the right looks very smug about it, his face a nicely drawn detail. He seems to be lending the blond a satisfying hand already. The phallic golf clubs give us corroboration of what's afoot. The blond's one is upright in his hand (not a driver, I might observe, if that's not overthinking it), whereas a bagful of irons (two at least!) lurks at his opposite number's rear.

 

There's a level of maturity in all three men in this picture, faces and physiques, that gives it a less playful, more intense atmosphere than Art-Bob's usual fare, but what exactly the storyline is, I cannot discover.

 

 

Art Bob - Four Alarm Fire

It's the title of this one that is bemusing, but on the surface, it's more clear what is happening. Firemen are being aroused from their slumbers to tackle a fire. This image predates the modern rise of firefighters to the level of erotic icons (gay and straight). 

 

The slightly guilty looking face in the top bunk may point to a hidden erotic agenda, his hand seems to be resting on the head of the chap below, while the bedpost seems to be betraying mischief that hasn't yet had time to dissipate.

 

The foreground figure, hastily buckling up his jeans may also reflect an interruption. Be that as it may, he is a delicious creation, lightly erotic and nicely observed. The treatment of his jeans is so casual, yet so right. The man putting on his socks is also interesting, with nice vest detail, but why is he wearing gloves? 

 

The character raising the alarm is a more conventional Art Bob type, more caricatured but oddly separated from the others. His underpants feature the artist's favoured chequer pattern and some weighty-looking contents which will not see action until the fire has been put out. 

 

Art Bob - Evening Clean-Up

Art Bob captures the simplest of homoerotic torments here. A man watches his buddy as he unselfconsciously cleans his lower regions with flies gaping open, after a hard day's work on the farm. On one level, it's an image that simply expresses admiration for working men, but the artist has added other telling detail.

 

There's the discomforted look of the watcher and the bulge in his jeans. He delicately wipes (hides?) his face as if embarrassed. The water dripping from the bowl suggests an elevated level of erotic intensity, but the drip that seems to be falling from his friend's groin and running down his thigh creates the impression that he likes being watched and admired. It's plainly just an illusion.

 

Art Bob - Down on the Farm

This piece hardly needs the title, which seems like another commonplace, seemingly apt phrase chosen by the artist yet not quite matching what we see. I suppose the double entendre was too good to ignore. In any other context, we might imagine 'going down' is about to be enacted, but the astonishing involvement of the cow and cat diverts our thoughts into a very different direction. It seems incredibly daring but not entirely attractive. The idyllic scene outside seems like another world. 

 

The drawing of the figures is of a high standard, I particularly like the realistic gap at the back of the milker's jeans. Neat. Much of this artist's work suggests involvement with the world of fashion. 

 

Art Bob - Hero Worship

There's a tremendous energy in this picture caught by what seems like hasty sketching. The interlocking curves of the cowboy and his steed beautifully reflect their engagement and struggle, their determination to ride and not be ridden. Tom of Finland also tried to capture this 'man v beast' scenario in a intense sketch, which as far as I know, was never completed.

 

Both artists seem to have recognised a relationship to sexual power in man's attempts to control mighty beasts, which encompasses Bull Fighting as well as Rodeo riding. The rider's backward arching body communicates sexual appeal directly to us, and also to the onlooking cowboy in Art Bob's image above, as the intense shading of his groin implies. Unfortunately the reproduction process has faded his jeans to invisibility, which diminishes his contribution to the image. 

Forward thrusting groins like this figure regularly in this artist's work. There are some others, heavily disguised examples, in Part 2 of this article. I've added a more obvious one below, aptly named 'Horse Play', but it would be remiss to leave the subject of farms without mentioning one of Art Bob's best and most innocent of images.

 

 

Art Bob - Hay Antics

Two young men playfully grapple in the hayloft. It's a nostalgic musing on the truly innocent joys of youth in an idyllic environment, far from the pressures and sordid reality of town living. A scene recounted in many a tale of 'coming of age'.

 

The stalks of hay delicately held between the blond's fingers suggest he has provoked this 'attack' by tickling his buddy.  It's clearly a game his friend is happy to play and you can sense the mutual affection that underpins it. The characterisation of the two lads is at the realistic end of Art Bob's scale with no hint of boyish silliness or unmanly panic. This is the real thing. 

 

There's a pitchfork in the background which might be seen as signalling lurking erotic intent, danger even, but it's hard to see this picture as anything else but a spontaneous expression of friendship which might lead to a stolen kiss and the liberation of a deeper love between the two buddies.

 

Art Bob - Horse Play

This picture has similarities to the art of Spartacus and is not unrelated to the Hayloft image. It's innocent youthful fun on the surface, a study of males at play. Like the rodeo image previously it has a tremendous sense of movement and physical endeavour. The figures have a balance which seems to connect to the artist's interest in ballet which I noted in Part 2 of this article. 

There's balance too in the mirroring poses of the two 'carriers'. It results in the overlapping of their lower bodies, which are one side-step away from direct erotic contact. If the carriers are removed from the image altogether, the two remaining characters are aligned for an even more intimate engagement.

That hidden, erotic subtext derives an extra twist from the characterisations of the two 'teams' which are totally different. The two on the right look playful and innocent, their opposite numbers look older, more serious and distinctly calculating. One of the 'innocents' looks out to us soulfully, as if he's suddenly realised this contest is not what he thought it would be. A discovery no less dramatic than the one that the Hayloft wrestlers might be on the verge of making. 

 

Art Bob - Hang On Man, We’re Cutting Out!

In this image, the artist takes that encounter between innocence and experience further. The fantasy of bikers leading astray 'healthy', young men was a popular theme for gay artists around this time, notably explored by Etienne's Surfer and Bikers images in 'Road Kings' and also by Tom of Finland. 

 The rapid sketching technique seen in 'Rodeo' feeds the comedy here as well as the sense of movement and urgency. The artist hints more explicitly at the logical destiny of the arching body and thrusting pelvis, although it seems an improbable result in terms of the stereotyping of these particular two characters and the physical situation they are in. By intention or accident, the sketching has also created the (more predictable) impression that the pillion rider has a rocket up his backside. 

Unfortunately, in this image, virtually all the background detail is lost, save for a gesticulating arm far behind them, which perhaps implies these two have been up to some mischief.

 

Art Bob -2 a.m. Daddy

Many of Art Bob's images seem to reference heterosexual life, often to illustrate the peculiar attractiveness of straight men to gays and the rivalry between gay men and women for the hand of their beau. '2 a.m. Daddy', however, is a completely unvarnished and somewhat puzzling example of married life. 

I suppose we must view this scene in the context of an era when probably the majority of gay men chose to marry women in order to avoid persecution and live a 'normal' life. That decision was probably influenced in may cases by the relentless, popular characterisation of gay men as effeminate and degenerate. That wasn't how they viewed themselves, of course, but they knew no better.

Art Bob may be representing one such man, wondering how different his life might have been, what else he might have been getting up to at 2 o'clock in the morning. The depiction of the two children is an impressive example of the artist's capabilities as an illustrator.

Art Bob - The Hour Of Decision 

A straight outlook is more directly implied in this image, by the photo on top of the dresser and by the obvious desire of the man getting dressed to please his date, who seems to be the person in the photo and watching him. 

He has a voluptuous physique and there's an erotic, masculine kinkiness in the bow tie coupled with his nudity (somewhat clichéd and devalued to gays, these days, by commercial, heterosexual exploitation). The artist may be hinting at conflicting inner feelings by presenting him with a choice between conventional black and jazzy stripes. Does he mean a choice between being dull and straight and being a more imaginative gay? This was the double life led by many men.

The contrast between his overall nudity and chunky shoes and socks adds even more pungency to his simmering erotic appeal. In addition, the open drawer with its trailing tie, in matching stripes, note, suggests an inner excitement suggestive of his true orientation. Very clever.

 

Art Bob - That's Not Music! That's My Brother

According to the Physique Pictorial caption this is a phone call to his girlfriend, but I suppose we might imagine that's just his cover story. Otherwise, this is strictly neutral territory with no hint of anything more between these two men than commonplace, sibling rivalry and a weak play on a phrase that predates the Hollies 1969 hit 'He ain't heavy He's my brother' by over 50 years. 

The guy on the phone is appealing enough, with a physique, one of Art Bob's best, delicately detailed with light hair. Except for what we can see of his groin, that is. Notice the flecks of shaving foam on his pecs and belly, titillating us with the thought that this straight guy has an awareness of his body image which wasn't at all normal in the 1950s. His younger brother's dress with tight jeans and bare, muscular top suggests similar, promising traits! 

The 1950s retro decor, complete with cheese plant and 'moderne' lightshade is a delight.

  

Art Bob - Detour

Three images by Art Bob, which I have presented in the past, also feature heterosexual themes. In 'Detour' it injects that frustrating but irresistible allure of 'essence of straight' into a situation rife with homoerotic desire. (Follow the links in this section for more commentary).

 

Art Bob - We're Waiting

 

'We're Waiting', is a more comical play on conflicting desires in a mixed erotic triangle. It features strip poker and a secret gay who is one of that predatory breed who believe they will always get their man. Surprisingly often they did, annoyingly, but their chances were enhanced by the prevalence of men living double lives or in mistaken marriages. Nobody here cares about the woman's feelings.

 

Art Bob - Pick-Up

'Pick Up' gently mocks the artifice of women that suffer under a similar illusion, largely based on their self-presentation skills and female artifice, as represented by the dropped handkerchief (or knickers). It's a world I suspect Art Bob was very familiar with in his day job. In this case we can see it's pure delusion.

I have resorted to a magazine cover for this example, it's over-cropped at the sides but is the only copy I have which, for once, shows the background detail as it was meant to be seen. Note the philosophical comment in the magazine title on the bottom row.

~ 

Read this series from Part 1 

I am mulling a Part 4 for this series, watch this space!

Art Bob 2

Read Part 1 of Art Bob

Art Bob - GoldBrickers

We'd call them 'slackers' or 'malingerers' these days. Three men trying to get a Doctor's note for a few days off work. Or perhaps it's just an excuse to be examined by the handsome, young Medic. The degree of disrobing he requires of them suggests he has an exacting and thorough technique (and equally dubious motivations?). 

 

The hunk in the foreground is wearing shorts that are both rolled down at the waist and rolled up at the leg to create a sort of loin cloth effect. He is faking a fever by putting his thermometer on a hot radiator, which itself is puffing out smoke signals of appreciation for the assembled, hot "hunkage". 

 

The current examinee, standing with his flies wide open and nothing underneath apparently, presents himself for the medic's stethoscope, nervously tensed. Anxious perhaps, that his pants will drop at the slightest provocation, revealing something he'd rather keep to himself. 

 

The guy stripping off at the back, for me, is the most interesting, strong jawed and lightly stubbled, he has a cute haircut and muscular arms. A glimpse of buttock tells us he's going to be examined totally naked.  

 

Art Bob - The Bigger They Are, The Harder They Fall

Everyone's already naked in this image, queuing up nervously to get their jabs, of which there are to be a great many, as witness the multiple plasters on those who have gone before. If that wasn't daunting enough, one of them - 'Mr Bigger' - has fainted and is being carried away by his buddies. 

 

Physique Pictorial captioned this as a military induction scenario, which implies the men are strangers and need to demonstrate good masculine resolve in front of their new peers, even if they are naked and defenceless. 

 

There's some interesting detail, a stray hand seeming to pull back the guy at the front of the queue (or perhaps it's tickling the fainted man's foot). The nearest culprit gazing upwards innocently. The recruit at the very back appears to be humping someone. This provocative, but discreetly obscured, forward thrusting pose is seen in other Art-Bob images. 

 

Art-Bob's contemporary, Spartacus, often drew large group scenes like this with sporting and naval settings.  

 

Art Bob - Life Savers

This situation is sort of medical too, but following a book of Life Saving instructions suggests this is about novices getting in practice, rather than a real emergency. Admittedly the 'victim' does looks a bit glum, depending on whether you see his eyes as open or closed. The 3 oil rigs in the distance seem as if they might be an interesting phallic representation of the group's feelings. They also suggest it's based on a geographic location known to the artist.  

 

The portable radio and shades in the foreground are a nice detail. The basket weave, kepi-style cap appears in another image below, US readers may recognise the style, but it's new to me. 

 

Art Bob - Skiing Mishap (my title)

 Another young man seeking his buddy's help with a bad case of burnt bottom after misjudging the strength of the sun rays on the snowy ski slopes. The ointment and liniment on the bench suggest his friend is equally stricken, but he still looks highly dubious about the prospect of mutual oiling in that particular area.  

There's an odd-looking detail in the grass beyond them that looks rather like a big cat with menacing fangs. It's actually a bearskin rug, and it appears in one of other pictures in the set (see below). Perhaps to parody of the pain the boys are experiencing.

This is one of six drawings in The 'Skiing' Series. Two others are known to me. One shows the blond trying on his skis, wearing nothing but a hooded top, unzipped to the waist. In the other, he's being roused by his buddy from sleep to go skiing before the snow melts. Both seem to simply showcase the boys' physiques. I suspect there's a narrative in which the snow melts, and they resort to nude sunbathing with disastrous consequences. 

 

Art Bob -The Young Carpenters 1

More bottom pain awaits one of the protagonists in this diptych. Our increasingly hapless blond is working with his buddy again, this time nailing shingles on a roof. He loses his balance and his buddy's efforts to save him only result in ripped clothing.

There's some nice physique drawing here and a distinctly balletic composition, brought out by the light hand used to sketch the background detail. In other images Art-Bob depicts ballet scenes and tights more explicitly. 

The difficult perspective here presents no problems to this accomplished artist.  

 

Art Bob -The Young Carpenters 2

This sequel is quite a well known image, you may have seen it converted into a spanking picture. The blond has landed in a barrel of nails which his friend considerately extracts from his posterior one at a time.

The bulge and shading of the legs of the buddies jeans here is quite effective. 

 

Art Bob - The Artist (my title)

 Many of Art Bob's pictures seem to simply be vehicles for male physique drawing. The artistic hunk in the foreground is a deceptively casual creation. But while he lazily touches up his painting, two naked, young men, posing for him in the background must sustain as pose that must be getting more and more uncomfortable by the minute. So it's also an illustration of the control any visual creator has over his models. 

 

There's a more overtly erotic ingredient in the positioning of the right-hand model's head just in front of him, seeming to suggest he's being obliged to give service, which in a way he already is. There may not be much of a bulge in the artist's jeans, but the dripping paintbrush is equally telling. A rather stylish example of 'hidden eroticism'.

 

Art Bob - Artist With His Model 1 (my title)

There's a similar theme here, with an exceptionally muscular, young model being prepared for his shoot (as it were!). The miniature figure on the floor behind him suggests this is a sculptor's studio, so he's probably in for a long stint. What's more, the coat draped over his shoulders and the broken window behind him, with snow and icicles visible, indicates that this is the proverbial, freezing garret. 

Oblivious of this, the artist takes great pains and time to get the skimpy, modesty covering adjusted just right. The sculptor's clothing, complete with trendy deck shoes, is the product of an artist well versed in fashion sketching, but perhaps not the typical attire of bohemian artists.

 

Art Bob - Artist With His Model 2 (my title)

 In the sequel, the sculptor has given the poor model ear-muffs to wear - in response to his complaints about the cold presumably. To add to this indignity, they are particularly feminine, fluffy muffs. He is also obliged to pose holding a household broom instead of a manly spear, highlighted by the contrast with the authenticity of the helmet.

The sculptor working on his model looks at him as if mystified by his grumbles. Of course, he's wrapped up warm himself. At first sight he looks like a painter cleaning his hands with a rag, but he is actually modelling a figure, you can see the shape of the legs, matching those of the model.  

 

Art Bob - Crowded Quarters

 

In their youth, men are usually undismayed by having to share quarters and bare all to other men. The two hunks in the foreground here seem happy to improvise, doing their morning ablutions in close proximity without any apparent concerns. The close arrangement of crotch and elbow is not without erotic interest, nor of course the bent over pose of the nearest man.

 Their younger flatmate, waiting his turn, seems to positively enjoy the spectacle of them jostling at the sink. While they are preoccupied, he seems to be holding up someone's undershorts for a closer examination, as if wondering how they would feel on him. Art Bob seems to have liked this criss-cross pattern, it crops up in a number of his drawings. 

This man also seems to be holding a rosebud which I'm not sure how to interpret. Is it a symbol of his crush on the owner of the pants? Or of what he imagines extracting from them? Maybe the forward thrust of his pelvis and the shielding of his crotch by the backside of one of the hunks provides the answer. Well we can all dream!

 

Art Bob -Water Shortage

 This picture has a similar 'sharing' theme to the one above, but is almost the opposite in emotional terms. These four men jockeying to get some of the water that is dripping out of the shower head are definitely not happy with the arrangement. When it was published, Physique Pictorial related it to military service, when of necessity, washing arrangements were often improvised. 

 

Comrades in arms usually make the best of such inconveniences, but the levels of embarrassment on display here seem to go far beyond that. There's a certain, very mitchmen-esque pleasure to be derived from their predicament. 'Trim' No 3 bizarrely observed that "the English might consider that these boys deserve this fate". Be that as it may, we are deprived of Art-Bob's usual cute faces as a result and must content ourselves with some luscious physique detail.

 

The picture is not without erotic humour, however. The muscular blond in the foreground is rubbing his backside, almost as if he has felt a surreptitious touch. Beyond him, a comrade looks back over his shoulder, as if he might have felt the same thing, as they bathe, accidentally cheek to cheek. Or perhaps it's his wandering hands that were responsible, and he's feigning innocence but can't resist observing the reaction of his target. 

 

The same might be said of the figure on the left, whose willowy physique is another example of Art Bob's forward thrusting pelvis action which produces a natural bunching of the backside and possibly in this case, embarrassment for the man in the middle soaping his hair, he's seen what we can't!

 

~

 

More Art Bob in Part 3 (article pending)

 

Read Part 1 of Art Bob

My Roofing Contractor

Tighty-Whiteys by Alexandre CK

 For more underwear at mitchmen,
click on the label below 

For more Roofers in tight shorts
see Mitchell's Roofers 

Etienne's - The Plumber

 This article features an Etienne image that seems to be the predecessor of his 'Bath Nite' storyette. 

Etienne - The Plumber

 

This is the most complete copy I have of the picture, others have outer detail cropped off. However, it is marred by a scratch/crease line across the background character, which the others aren't. 

 

This picture doesn't have a title, even in the Kris Catalogue, where it is simply labelled as 'E56'. It's clearly not another 'Bath Nite', however. This plumber seems to have been called in to deal with some major pipework problems, but he too has managed to drench himself. He's taken off his clothes and hung them on the line above while he sorts out the problem, entirely naked.

 

Enter the owner, or maybe it's his foreman. He stands, looking very dissatisfied, with hands on hips, which seems to confirm the plumber has made a hash of things. The plumber seems to think the new arrival is more interested in his nakedness than his work, and doesn't seem the least bit concerned about it!

 

Like the final image in Bath Nite, this picture has something of a split personality. The man in the background seems to have been added in as an afterthought and not very well integrated. He's not actually looking at the plumber, but at us, like a posing model. In addition, there's a sort of halo around his entire body, making it seem as if he doesn't 'belong'. His feet seem to be hovering above the ground, whereas the plumber is grounded very convincingly. However, this image was taken from a contemporary magazine 'Fizeek Art Quarterly', so it must be authentic (?) 

 

The explanation may lie in another version, which I discovered not long ago at the 'Tim in Vermont' website (now defunct, sadly).

 

 

Etienne - The Plumber (coloured)

Here there are two on-lookers, and they obscure the staircase detail in a way that makes you look back and question that element of the black and white version too. Is this the original image then?

 

 I must admit, I have my doubts about the integrity of this image, too. Etienne often seems to have painted many of his original images, so the colour element is not surprising. He also depicted explicit details, with sanitised copies for general publication, so that's fine too. This picture contains a considerable amount of detail on the right side, which is not present in the black and white version. All of which stakes a claim to it being more authentic. 

 

In the black and white image, the spectator seemed the least convincing detail. The two seen here fit in more convincingly in purely technical terms, but don't create much of a narrative, which you would expect from an Etienne picture. Perhaps they are the cowboys who caused the problem and had to call in the plumber. But they are not even looking at him. Apart from this, the styling of their faces is more life-like than the plumber's and his 'appendage' for that matter has all the hallmarks of an 'add-on'. 

 

 I think the underlying colour imagery here probably is original by Etienne, but I suspect the spectators are a later alteration, possibly by Etienne himself, who was known to revise older imagery (see Sailors Beware!) but was not always scrupulously correct about consistency. 

 

The arrangement of the two spectators here actually makes a striking parallel to the poses of the men in the (supposedly later) Bath Nite 6. It's tempting to see this as a cross-over revision.

 

All this begs the question, what did the original version of this picture actually look like? The best answer is the illustration in the Kris Catalogue and I have to say it looks identical to the black and white image above, although it's not possible to be sure about facial expressions and eye-lines. It also has the extra width of the coloured image. 

 

~ 

 

Other Etienne posts at mitchmen

Etienne - Bath Nite

UPDATE Sat 22nd Feb

I have updated this article with two 'missing' pictures found at the 'Exclusively Etienne' Google Group. Thanks to them for the valuable resource. 

 

Plumbers come and go in Gay iconography. We tend to assign a rough masculinity to all manual workmen by default, but plumbers routinely gain admittance to our most private areas, prompting all sorts of erotic possibilities. The nature of their job and its association with spanners, pipes and fluid flow makes for plenty of innuendo and jolly puns. 

 

These days, gay interest seems to lie primarily in the voyeuristic spectacle they offer, whilst fiddling under the sink...

 

Plumber by jk

 Etienne's mid-60s storyette, 'Bath Nite', ca 1965, takes the 'home invasion' ingredient much further. The Kris catalogue shows 6 pictures in the set, all but 1 of them have come down to us in reasonably clear quality.

 

 

Etienne - Bath Nite 1 - Trouble In The Shower

 In this picture, a muscle hunk discovers he has got a blockage in his shower pipes. The switch is set to 'On', but all he gets is a drip.

 

 Most of us hate a wet shower curtain clinging to our bodies, but here it handily covers his naughty bits. 

 

The hunk's, slightly odd but suggestive, open legged pose seen here occurs in other Etienne images too. I wonder if it's connected with his experience as a ballet dancer.

 

 

Etienne - Bath Nite 2 - Professional Assistance

The plumber arrives, responding to the hunk's call for help. The workman cuts quite a roguish figure in his rakish cap and coat casually slung over his shoulder, a confident, showy devil*. His skimpy, tight-fitting polo shirt, reveals a tattoo on his bare arm and bulging jeans confirm his butch credentials. No wonder the hunk has dropped his towel! He looks round at him with an appraising eye, limply pointing out the dripping (and suggestive) shower head! 

  

*I suppose you might read more boastfulness into his trading name 'A1 (or top class) Plumber', but it was a standard way of getting a business to the top of telephone listings in pre-Internet days. 

 

The dense, ill-defined shading of this copy may be because the original was painted (i.e. in colour) and not drawn. 

 

Etienne - Bath Nite 3 - Slight Miscalculation

A minor tweak of a spanner (it seems) is all it takes to unexpectedly unleash a jet of water, drenching the plumber and knocking him to the floor. For some reason, his belt has come unbuckled and partly detached from his pants, which also look undone at the fly. Has there just been some hanky-panky distracting him from his task? The hunk's smile might suggest so. 

 

The plumber looks more jock-like and handsome here - vulnerable too, like a regular guy. It's the hunk's turn to look roguish as he closes the door. Has he contrived this unfortunate accident - or is he just an opportunist?

 

Notice that the size difference between the two men is disguising a simulated contact between the plumbers boot and the hunk's thigh, exactly at crotch level. There's a reciprocal arrangement involving the plumber's (wide open) crotch and hunk's knee being at the same height. 

  

Etienne - Bath Nite 4 - Beyond Repair

I've had to resort to enlarging the catalogue thumbnail here. It looks as if the clumsy plumber has wrought more serious damage to the shower than it appears in the previous picture. There seems to be a hole in the wall with dripping pipework where the shower head was before. There's also a pile of rubble? at the hunk's feet as he stoops to pick up the shower head and its (hitherto unseen) feed pipe. 

The plumber in the foreground wrings out his jeans, looking very wet or very embarrassed - or both. His muscular arms and the perky cap (back in place on his head), add a nice tweak to his manly embarrassment. However, the shape seen in his wet underwear might suggest that it's the not just his mistake, but the sight of the hunk's bare backside, that is causing his consternation. He's taken off his boots to facilitate the removal of his jeans, so he obviously not that flustered! That enables Etienne to include a typical detail of oversized feet in slack socks.

 

Etienne - Bath Nite 5 - Off With The Wet

At this point, the plumber has lost his underpants altogether, they are hanging on the line behind, together with his jeans. His last sock is in the process of being peeled off his foot, by the hunk, who is holding it up in a very servant-like way.

 

 The still-dripping plumber looks as if he's going to take off his polo shirt and is clearly not the least embarrassed about his exposed crotch, because his legs are wide open. Nice legs they are too (Etienne's ballet heritage again). Plus generously sized feet.

The plumber's roguish, toughness seems to have reasserted itself here, his cap is symbolically back on his head. He appears to be resting his right foot on one of his own boots, pushing it into the hunk's crotch. The response of the hunk is obscured by a wet sock, but there's something else going on just behind the boot and sock, which I can't make out... Irrespective of this, there's plainly an erotic interaction going on.

 

Etienne - Bath Nite 6 - The Solution

In the end, the hunk gets his shower, thanks to the magnanimous, muscular plumber sprinkling him from a (very camp!) watering can. The tattoo on his arm reveals him to be called Bud, which mellows his hypermasculine aura in an attractive way. 

The hunk lounges contentedly, his legs unashamedly open (ballet style again) and in a position to receive a playful splashing onto his groin - and much else, I dare say!  He is clearly conscious that Bud's dick is lurking just behind his head and within touching distance of his clasped hands. There's a dark shadow to the left of Bud's 'treasure trail' which may be screening a glimpse of something naughty. 

This sexy, bath tub pose is probably inspired by (if not copied from) a 60s beefcake picture in the AMG set of Wally Schillicut bathing*. Etienne has drawn the image well, but the departure from the free flowing, 'drawn from the imagination' style of the rest of the picture, and indeed the rest of the set, jars a little.  

*More of Wally Schillicut and other vintage hunks in bathtubs 

(link pending)

~ 

The 'Bath Nite' entry in Kris Catalogue No 2

 

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This plumbing story has a predecessor image, also by Etienne, from about 3 years earlier, in 1962. It's clearly the prototype for 'Bath Nite' but tells a slightly different story. 

View Etienne's 'The Plumber'

Other Etienne posts at mitchmen