Cleopatra is one of only two commissioned published calendar pin-up paintings created by Henry Clive for the Louis F. Dow Calendar Company of Saint Paul Minnesota, the other work Sultana was previously sold by our gallery. Featuring an exotic nearly nude dreamy enchantress in an Art Deco Egyptian fantasy pyramid adorned dreamscape, this enchanting artwork was issued in about 1929 as a calendar image called Cleopatra. This timeless image was again issued in 1941 as a mutoscope card with the unfortunate title of “If She Could Only Cook” –a vintage mutoscope card is included in the sale.

Our gallery sold this work in 2013 after it had been on the website for all of 17 hours, we just re-acquired it from our previous client and are delighted to be able to offer the painting again.

 

Henry Clive is among our very favorite illustrators, he created a few pin ups during the 1920s for various calendar companies before settling into a three decade long career creating covers for Randolph Hearst’s American Weekly Magazine. He also worked for Paramount Films during the mid 1920s and created lusty art deco murals for Los Angeles area nightclubs and tinsel town fraternal organizations during the Golden Age of Hollywood.