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Grapefruit Moon Gallery

Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration

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Sorry, It's Sold

The Taj Mahal

Artist:Chesley Bonestell
Date:1955
Medium:Oil on Illustration Board
Dimensions:Sight Size 15" x 19" Framed 20" X 24"
Condition:Excellent
Original Use:Fine Art or Illustration
Price: Sold
Full view
Full view
The artist's signature lower right
The artist’s signature lower right
Framed and lined under glass in vintage period frame
Framed and lined under glass in vintage period frame

The majestic Taj Mahal beckons in this extraordinary complex and detailed gouache painting by the prolific and influential American science fiction genre illustrator Chesley Bonestell. This dates to 1955 and while it represents a departure from the artist’s space art genre work, it perhaps rates as one of Bonestell’s finest paintings. The detail is so intricate it would appear to have been painted with a feather. Nicely framed under glass in a vintage, likely original to the painting, mid-century aesthetic ornate frame.

Commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, the Taj Mahal is considered “The Jewel of Muslim Art” and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983. Described by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore as “the tear-drop on the cheek of time”, the site attracts 7–8 million visitors a year.

A short biography of the artist, courtesy of Bonestell.com:

Chesley Bonestell (1888-1986) was an American pioneer of space art who helped popularize manned space travel. He is well known for his cover art for science fiction magazines, including Astounding Science Fiction and The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction as well as many books such as The Conquest of Space, The Exploration of Mars, and Beyond the Solar System in collaboration with several authors well known in the field of space exploration.

Bonestell’s work also includes architectural paintings, scientific illustrations, and special effects matte paintings for films such as Destination Moon (1950), When Worlds Collide (1951), and War of the Worlds (1953). On June 11, 1986, while working on a painting, he passed away at his home in Carmel, California.

Bonestell received a bronze medal from the British Interplanetary Society, a Special Achievement Hugo Award, and was inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame and the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. The Association of Science Fiction & Fantasy Artists’ Chesley Award for achievement in science fiction and fantasy art is named for him, and a crater on Mars and asteroid 3129 Bonestell are also named in his honor.

The Taj Mahal

Artist: Chesley Bonestell
Price:  Sold

Filed Under: Sorry, It's Sold
Tagged With: Chesley Bonestell, fine art, India, Lotus, Moorish, orientalist, Persian, sci-fi, Taj Mahal
Added to Gallery: October 31, 2016

 

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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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