Cowboys and Mexicans and Classical Greek Mythology. Plus a lotta naked dudes. 

Delmas Howe is an artist you might not be familiar with out of the gate, but anyone with even a remedial understanding of art history or Greek mythos will be able to instantly identify Howe’s intentions in his gorgeously and painstakingly illustrated canvases.  Ranging from Atlas to the Three Graces as themes, Howe’s work uses the physicalities and the landscapes of the American Southwest to interpret classical works through provocative and homoerotic male nudes:

While many observers of Delmas Howe’s work note its startling juxtaposition of male nudes in the land of the Marlboro man, there is much more to his paintings, lithographs, drawings and monotypes than shock value. In fact, his work is informed by a deep appreciation for the classical art and mythology of Greece and Rome, an abiding love for and technical mastery of the Western landscape, and a sensitive reinterpretation of male values in Western society today. Howe says, “I was raised on the laps of real cowboys, and my little boy mind put the two together: that eroticism remains with me today.”    –via LeslieLohman.org

It’s easy to see that eroticism in Howe’s work:

I genuinely searched for the largest possible versions of these because there’s so much beautifully intricate detail that gets lost at 500x500px. If you know of other repositories of Howe’s work or have larger versions to share, the comments are the spot.

I’m personally most attracted to the emotional quality of this piece, entitled Hold Me: