Three Men in Bondage. 1957. Oil on Masonite. Artist signature and date on the bottom right, "R. Bliss '57. "Framed. 25 1/2 x 61 1/2" (Painting.) 28 1/2 x 64 1/2" (overall.)

A rare, daring, pre-Stonewall homoerotic artwork (painted during the Lavender Scare) and a quite large painting by this influential American artist.

Provenance:

Property of a western Massachusetts collection.

Notes:

A particularly unique work by the American painter Robert Bliss, this painting comes from the artist's early career, and exhibits certain artistic sensibilities that are not seen within his later work. The three male figures are rendered in a somewhat-classical proportion, fading into the dark background of the painting with a strong chiaroscuro effect. In this painting Bliss depicts each man bound to the other with a golden-colored, somewhat abstracted rope. The rope comes down radiantly from the top left corner and binds the ankle, hand, and neck of each man, entwining the trio together in a bondage scene.

Robert R. Bliss (1925-1981) was a New England-based painter known primarily for his paintings of acrobats and young men by the sea. He was a contemporary of the famous American painter Andrew Wyeth, who, in a 1959 Look magazine interview, designated Bliss as the most promising artist of the year. Works by Bliss have been exhibited in museums and galleries across the northeastern US, including the Leslie Lohman Museum and the historic Bodley Gallery.

Minor surface abrasions to the center, some bowing to the center of the board and some areas of irregular varnish. Overall the painting shows well and perhaps would benefit from a light professional cleaning.

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