Celebrating Tom of Finland – Top 10 Hottest & Most Iconic Pictures

Throughout history, there have been numerous Queer artists: Leonardo Da Vinci, Frida Kahlo, Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat... all Queer, and all have aspects of their Queerness entrenched in their art. But few artists throughout history have had a greater impact on the world specifically because of the Queerness of their art than Touko Valio Laaksonen, known better to most as Tom of Finland.

Laaksonen was born May 8, 1920 and lived until November 7, 1991, dying at the age of 71. In his lifetime, publicly Queer expression was not only illegal, but it was decidedly dangerous. You could lose your career, you could lose your family, you could lose your life. All of that only serves to increase what an absolute badass artist Laaksonen was. Writing under his pseudonym "Tom of Finland", Laaksonen depicted men as rawly sexual beings with beefy chests, broad shoulders, and always massive cocks. Here is a look at our ten favorite pieces of art by Tom of Finland.

The First TOF Photo I Ever Saw

Up first is the first piece of art I ever remember seeing by Tom of Finland. I remember it so vividly because it unquestionably changed my life. It was early in my sexual awakening, and when I saw this photo it was as if something clicked into place. It affirmed my instincts, and it gave me a new lens through which to view society's definition of masculinity.

TOF And Dominance

Tom of Finland subverts our understandings of so many different aspects of life. This photo is a perfect example of that. This piece addresses how we view dominance, how we sexualize that dominance, and even makes socio-political comments on "boot lickers." Going even a step further, the dominant man's huge dick serves as a grip for the sub to pull himself up with; sexuality is a way to pull ourselves up into a more fully realized version of ourselves. Not only that, but Tom is directly confronting the assumption that "traditionally masculine" men should only be viewed through the white experience.

TOF And Male Camaraderie

One of the core themes seen throughout Laaksonen's work is the simply idea of male relationships. Even when depicted as hyper sexual, TOF above all else made the simple statement that there is a connection among men. There is a brotherhood and a link, and, in the best of circumstances, there is even a bond. This is as classic of a Tom of Finland piece as I could hope for, and is the perfect embodiment of that camaraderie.

TOF And Big Dicks & Asses

Listen... it's really simple: the works of Tom of Finland are some of the hottest depictions of dicks and butts that a homo could ever hope to see. The cocks are big, thick, and veiny, and the asses are meaty, perky, and muscular, always just begging to be munched on. This picture places that on full display. Not only that, but we see the main focus of the piece wiping his finger softly onto the top lift on the big-assed second man. I can only assume that was a bit of precum, from the dick that Tom of Finland guided us to focus our gaze towards.

TOF As A Sketch

One of the great things about Tom of Finland is that he often shoves things in our faces without really showing it to us. We see a massive bulge, but not the cock; we see two men locking eyes, but not them kissing. There are plenty of TOF works where he breaks that tension by showing us directly, of course, but in much of his work, the suggestion of the thing alone is enough to send someone reeling. This sketch does just that for me. Tom of Finland is so iconic in imagery, is so iconic in aesthetic, that this sketch is like a moment of flirtation between Tom of Finland and me. Tom is winking to the viewer saying, "You know."

TOF And The Military

Great poets once said, "In the navy... yes, you can sail the seven seas. In the navy...yes, you can put your mind at ease." The military has always been a huge aspect to Tom of Finland. The uniforms, the isolation of men in groups, and the peak physique of our country's servicemen created the perfect cocktail of ingredients to showcase Tom of Finland's hyper-sexual commentary. I've always loved this picture because it shows not only the pure, raw sexual energy of the men with their cocks getting harder and their pants literally bursting at the seems, but it also shows them within that light while also being absolutely carefree. There's such an energy to this stillness.

TOF And Sex

As hot as the subtleties of Tom of Finland's work could be, there is also a ton of his work that celebrates sex itself, tackling it head-on, and making sure the sex is kept directly in our faces, sometimes quite literally. The above piece shows just that head-on approach showing two men, one in the forward-ball-cap-look of some of my favorite trade, shirt pulled up to show his ripped body, and another guy on his knees, head being gripped firmly in place by the first guy whose dick is balls-deep down his throat. And with the boot kicked off to their right and the dominant man's stance being kinetically forward, you can feel that same sense of active sexual energy even though the drawing is so still. Woof.

TOF Models-to-Drawings Process

A year ago right around now, the Fotografiska Museum in NYC held a special exhibit on the unknown photography of Touko Valio Laaksonen, with some of it being never-before-seen works in the Tom of Finland canon. I was lucky enough to see the exhibit, and one of my favorite pieces was this one of a hot, burly man posing for what would become a TOF sketch. I love to see the similarities, the differences, what sensations are evoked in men by the picture as opposed to in the drawing, etc.

TOF And High Society

Once again, Tom of Finland hits us with a double commentary in this picture. Not only is he confronting the notion that proper society is demure and never forwardly sexual, he's also tackling the racial assumptions that high society doesn't include BIPOC people. This piece - "Untitled" - was drawn in 1970 and is a great example that Tom of Finland's artwork can be viewed through so many different mediums: photographs, fully drawn pictures, loosely sketched out creations like the one above, etc.

TOF Captures An Entire Generation

In Tom of Finland's 1986 piece "Untitled (Model in A-shirt and jeans)", he managed to capture the vibe of an entire generation: gay men in America in the 1980s. The AIDS crisis was in full swing, we were being ignored by our government, but we keep on smiling and enjoying our freedom as sexually in-tune people, rocking both the tank top, as well as the eagle-emblazoned leather cap, with bulged jeans and all. This particular piece also comments on all of that within the framework of not only being gay in America, but also being Black in America in the 1980s. Add on top of that, this guy is married! Is the wedding ring from his marriage to his husband? Is it from his wife? Is this aspect of his life a secret kept hidden, even though this picture presents so openly? Once again, Tom of Finland's multi-layered commentary and the questions his art evokes are as impressive as they are both beautiful and hot.

All photos from Tom of Finland Foundation. Learn more about the artist, attend events, buy prints, and donate.

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