Fat Art Appreciation

A respectful homage to people of size in fine art, history, and popular culture’

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The Wood Beyond the World by artist Arte Gorda

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Once-forgotten 1920’s erotic art by an anonymous Czech artist, this and 32 other stunning watercolors were rediscovered and released in 1974 by an obscure London publishing house under the title “Kugelrunda“… they speak volumes about body positivity as the women featured clearly are comfortable with their bodies and revel in the abundant pleasures of their flesh.

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A fun Dutch postcard by RAP where the driver advises the beautiful hitchhiker is quite the feisty girl, but his tiny little car will likely not survive her.

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The Fat Goddess by Romanian artist Gabriela-Elena David

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Dressing Mirror (2000) by Kenyan artist Richard Onyango

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Beautiful beach painting by English artist Pamela Ormston

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Bilge by artist Demet Orbay … beautiful art!

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‘Fat Men’s Dance’ published in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, August 1, 1890

Buschman’s Dancing Pavilion at West Brighton bulged out at the sides and the island shook as if suffering from the chill of an earthquake, for the Fat Men’s Association of Coney Island held their annual ball last night, and when large fractions of 25,000 pounds waft themselves over a ball room floor to gentle cadence something has got to give a little bit. It was hard to realize how many fat men make Coney Island a home until last night brought them out. A fundamental rule of the Fat Men’s Association is that no member shall weigh less than 200 pounds and those who weigh 199 gnash their teeth and sit outside the gate. The scales from the coal yard were shifted up for the purpose of proving who was entitled to the pigs which were awarded as prizes to the heavy weights, and it was a wise precaution.

When the guests were assembled Ward McAllister Taggart, in the only dress suit on the Island, stood at the entrance and aired his 230 pounds with evident pride. President William Rockwell, the Adonis of the Bowery, smiled disdainfully as he passed in carrying 249 pounds. Treasurer Henry Popper, who is too fat to run away with the money, puts on airs with 284 pounds to his credit. When Special Officer McGinnis wandered around there was a perceptible widening in the cracks along the walls, for McGinnis tips the scales at 399.

A litter of handsome pigs was waiting to be awarded to the men according to their weight, and the contestants took mental notes of their opponents with varying degrees of satisfaction, until Andy Cullen, of Jersey City, came along and made the heaviest of those already there look like consumptives in the last stages of decline.

The only trouble that occurred during the evening was when Special Officer Billy Smith endeavored to steal a pig. The reception committee sat on him one at a time and they gathered up his remains for the inquest. Seven pigs, twelve ducks and other minor prizes were awarded for proficiency in waltzing, roller skating and weighing. The floor groaned under the weight, and it was a satisfaction to know that there was no cellar under it.

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A TRULY FUN PIECE FROM 136 YEARS AGO TONIGHT!

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Carrot Cake (1980) by the great photographer Joel-Peter Witkin

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G's Hard Drive Vinny Vinny Whipped Cream by artist Hyegyeong G Choi

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Óleo, culo gordo by artist Ramón Palmeral

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Dig (2019) by the great Lydia Pettit

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Friday Night Fun: A playful work from the Japanese master of femdom art, Namio Harukawa (1947-2020)

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A fun favorite reblog!

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1920s British cartoon plate featuring Billy Bunter, a character in a series of books for young male audiences. “LAST—BUT NOT LEAST!" definitely reminds me of my elementary school years when I was the heaviest student in class every year and inevitably finished last in every event not involving weight! It all turned around, briefly in middle and high school, when I shot up some in height and, though not swift, was no longer the slowest or heaviest. In fact, I played three years of high school soccer, and started a few games, and became a good basketball player in school yard games, and ended up keeping with those sports well into my thirties and forties until I finally reached a certain level of adulthood fatness!

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Beautiful art by the great David Lurkin … @lurkin_art on Instagram!

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From the collection of the Yale University Library, an 1818 William Heath print entitled ‘A kiss at the congress: a legitimate embrace at Aix la Chapelle between Alexander the Great and Louis the Large, & others of the dramatis persona’

Yale University commentary: “Louis XVIII, grotesquely obese (left), and the Tsar kiss, their lips touching. Louis, whose head is much the larger, grasps the back of Alexander’s head; the Tsar bends from the waist to reach beyond the King’s paunch. Louis, with the gouty legs and old-fashioned gold-embroidered coat and waistcoat of English caricature, wears the order of the Saint Esprit. The Tsar, in uniform, has the high pinched waist and bulging breast of the dandy (cf. British Museum Satires No. 13029) with enormous cavalry boots to the thigh, huge epaulets, and a sash, but no sword. He says: “My Dear Legitimate Brother (tho I believe I call Boney the same) I am happy to serve you tho your cursed Country Men almost destroyed my country–” Louis answers: “Ma Chere [sic] Ami, I am so rejoiced at your Brotherly Kindness in putting off our payment & takeing off your Troops that I could Devour you.” The embrace is watched by two Frenchmen on the left, and on the right by the King of Prussia, the Emperor of Austria, and a young man (perhaps Napoleon’s son). Frederick William wears dandified uniform like that of the Tsar but with long trousers; he supports a large sword hanging from a belt, and holds a huge cocked hat; he watches the embrace with distaste, saying, “I am obliged to follow the Leaders at Present.” Francis I says: “I must agree for the moment but I have a Grandson.” One Frenchman wears uniform with top-boots; he says: “De Legitimate francais be too much for John Bull de manoeuvre by Gar ve want de Time & we show dem vat ve intend.” His companion, an elderly man wearing a court suit with a powdered wig (Richelieu attended the Conference on behalf of France) says delightedly: “Ah-ha he do him vid Compliments & den we do them out of the Money.” Behind them is a row of melancholy knock-kneed Grenadiers.”

Ah, I always had a wish to be referred to as ‘grotesquely obese’ like the grand Louis!

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World War I British military humor from the great postcard artist Donald McGill … I feel the mighty sailor’s place as I was definitely more of a “capital ship” type of person where squeezing through tiny portholes definitely wouldn’t have worked!