"Spoils of the Early Bird." 1999 Acrylic on canvas. Signed on front, bottom right. Signed, dated, and titled on the verso. 36 x 24"; 40 x 27.5" (overall) Framed.

"Spoils of the Early Bird" arguably shows the influence of Sandro Botticelli (Italian, 1445–1501) in both the composition of the body and face and perhaps intentionally or unintentionally George Quaintance (American, 1902–1957) in the use of an iridescent color palette, and the gesture and position of the subject.

To further contextualize these arguable influences on this painting, the unmarried Botticelli, whose sexual identity is unconfirmed had a recorded charge against him for "sodomy," the disposition of which is unknown to historians. Renaissance art historian James Saslow has noted that "Botticelli's homo-erotic sensibility surfaces mainly in religious works where he imbued such nude young saints as Sebastian with the same androgynous grace and implicit physicality as Donatello's David." George Quaintance was an American artist famous for his idealized, strongly homoerotic depictions of men in mid-20th-century gay physique magazines (see, lot 60 in this auction). Every lot is sold "as is," "where is," and "without warranty," whether express or implied. Art has not been examined outside of the frame unless otherwise stated.

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