‘Queer Eye’ Food Guy Antoni Porowski Had Gay Men Everywhere Googling the Term ‘Contrapposto’
Yesterday, Antoni Porowski — the hunky Food Guy from the Netflix makeover show Queer Eye — posted a thirst-inducing pic of him standing shirtless and contrapposto in a pair of boxer briefs.
Whenever I happen to pose contrapposto, I partner w @Hanes and wear my Comfort Flex Fit Boxer Briefs – they keep everything where it should be comfortably. #VouchForThePouch https://t.co/ihZJgUat62 pic.twitter.com/PSel19bGl9
— Antoni Porowski (@antoni) April 12, 2018
While he posted the pic to promote the Hanes undies, Twitter users seemed more interested in looking up the definition of “contrapposto,” an art history term that applies to countless pieces of art depicting hunky nude men standing erect. Thanks, art world!
But if you weren’t gay enough to take an art history class, you may not know what the word means. So allow us to school ya: “Contrapposto” is an Italian term that refers to a human figure standing with its weight shifted onto one leg.
The most well-known example of this is Michaelangelo’s David, the nude statue of the biblical giant-slayer, looking all suave and stuff.
David stands on his right leg, slightly tilting his shoulders and hips at different angles, giving him a relaxed yet dynamic appearance that seems more life-like and pleasing than were he just standing straight as an arrow.
Artists started sculpting contrapposto statutes as far back as Ancient Greece, but the stance experienced a revival during the Italian Renaissance because artists back then were super-gay for the conventions of classic Greek art.
Artists have pretty much been creating works of naked dudes standing contrapposto ever since.
Check out this gallery of contrapposto male nudes throughout art history:
Porowski — who says he can actually cook, thank you very much, doubters — also took a few extra snapshots for the underwear campaign, and in them he looks like he just woke up from a drunken hookup. He’s got bed head, dark circles around his eyes and a “just got laid” grin.
This is probably the closest any of us will get to waking up in bed with Porowski or hanging out in his apartment in underwear, so enjoy it. And, of course, leave it to a guy from Queer Eye to teach us something educational in the process.
