(PAUL SWAN 1883-1972)
A stylized portrait of the dancer, artist, and eventual gay icon by Charlotte Fairchild. Silver press print, the image measuring 241x191 mm; 9½x7½ inches, the sheet slightly larger, with two typed caption labels (one obscuring the photographer's credit stamp), two press stamps, and the date and various notations in pencil on verso. April 10, 1926. Paul Swan was an American painter, sculptor, dancer, poet, and actor, known for his beauty, unconventional behavior, and gender nonconformity. He performed Greek-inspired dance throughout his career, finding it to be a near-perfect mode of expression. His near nude performances shocked even Paris, where he performed for a time in the 1930s. Later he held weekly Sunday dance recitals from his studio in Carnegie Hall (1939-1969). His approach, which remained unchanged over the decades, came to be perceived as campy, and Andy Warhol included him in his 1965 underground film Camp. Swan's many faceted career also included appearances in silent films, including Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments, and painting and sculpture commissions. His bust of Willa Cather is in the Nebraska Capitol Building.