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Grapefruit Moon Gallery

Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration

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Gallery Blog

Dispatch from the West Coast

In an exciting coincidence, our founder ran into one of Gil Elvgren’s favorite models this week in Hollywood. The lovely Myrna Hansen, Miss USA and runner up in the Miss Universe Pageant of 1953, was muse to countless mid-century artists and photographers. The radiant former model graciously spoke with us about Elvgren and one of our favorite paintings, “Out of the Running,” which she modeled for. According to the pin up, she started working for Elvgren around 1950-1951, at the age of 15. At the time of  “Out of the Running’s” creation, Miss Hansen was in high school and Gil appears to have been inspired by her personal life, as she wore the very dress she appears in to her prom, although as she vividly recalls it was green not purple. Elvgren worked with an assistant, Peter Darro (who later went on to become an accomplished pin up painter in his own right), choreographing and creating each pin up scene in a photography studio, taking stills that have recently begun to surface. Elvgren worked from these posed still photographs in lieu of a live model to create the paintings as each canvas typically took a week to paint. Thank you Myrna Hansen for sharing your memories as America’s famed pin-up girl.

Below are views of the the model as posed by Elvgren for his commissioned Brown & Bigelow calendar pin ups.

Myrna-blog
At left, Peter Darro adjusts Myrna’s skirts in a still for “A Frame Worth Picturing” (the finished painting is shown at right).

 

Myrna Hansen in Riding High, C. 1958
Myrna Hansen in Riding High, C. 1958

Myrna-blog-2

Dispatch from the West Coast

Filed Under: Gallery Blog

Added to Gallery: May 9, 2014

 

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    About Grapefruit Moon Gallery

    Grapefruit Moon Gallery, based in Minneapolis MN, specializes in vintage pin up and original illustration art.  We are the proud home of the Bunny Yeager archives.

    Since 2003, Grapefruit Moon Gallery has been a leading dealer of exclusive original paintings by Gil Elvgren, Alberto Vargas, Earl Moran, Rolf Armstrong and Henry Clive, as well as vintage photographs, prints, and period decorative arts in ceramic and metal.

    All artworks featured are original, accurately represented, and guaranteed to be the work of the named artist.

    Interested buyers may view pieces by appointment and we are happy to answer any questions you may have. [Contact Us]

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