Paul Cadmus is best known for his tempera paintings and drawings of nude male figures and his controversial multifigure scenes of urban life. Born in New York City in 1904 to artist parents, Cadmus enrolled in classes at the National Academy of Design at age 15. A precocious student, Cadmus won scholarships and prizes and had completed his coursework by 1926. He then began his career in advertising and studied at the Art Students League where he met the painter Jared French, who became his lover. They traveled through France where Cadmus developed a deep and lasting fascination with the Old Masters. In 1934 Cadmus painted The Fleet's In!--a painting of drunken sailors carousing--while working for the WPA. The painting was removed from an exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery, and the scandal helped launch his career.
