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Grapefruit Moon Gallery

Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration

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Sorry, It's Sold

New York World’s Fair Mermaid

Artist:C.D. Williams
Date:1939
Medium:Oil on Illustration Board
Dimensions:Sight Size 24" x 36" Framed 29 1/2" x 41 1/2"
Condition:Excellent
Original Use:Exhibited Art In The 1939 New York World's Fair
Price: SOLD
Full view
The artist’s signature and frame corner detail lower right
Detail

Perched upon a craggy rock that juts out of the crashing waves, this alluring mermaid by C.D. Williams is a work of intense sensuality showcasing the perfect features of the American dream girl, as her long blonde hair blows in the ocean air while she keeps an eye on the horizon, seeking ships to lure them in.

An established artist and illustrator who built a prolific and successful lifelong career out of his craft, C.D. Williams had no formal art training who began his career as an illustrator at the age of eighteen for Chicago newspapers after working his way up from errand boy. Williams painted five covers for The Saturday Evening Post and was a frequent contributor there with interior narrative illustrations and advertisements for this storied title. Williams became a founding member of the Society of Illustrators of New York and had illustrations appearing in Collier’s, American, and The Ladies Home Journal. He later found work in the pulps, painting covers for The Cavalier, Blue Book, The Argosy, All-Story, All-Story Weekly, and All-Story Love as well as many others.

Handwritten text on the back indicates that this was displayed at the New York’s World Fair in 1939 and was most likely displayed in conjunction with Salvador Dalí’s exhibition “Dream of Venus”, a surrealist dream world that included, among many other delights, two pools with topless mermaids and sirens swimming about.

This painting was purchased from the Illustration House in the early 1990s and this exhibited artwork is rumored to have been modeled by Constance Bennett and for a time hung in the bedroom of her lover Phillip Wrigley.

Framed view in ornate original gesso frame
Detail
Verso View
Verso inscription detail

New York World’s Fair Mermaid

Artist: C.D. Williams
Price:  SOLD

Filed Under: Sorry, It's Sold
Tagged With: C.D. Williams, Constance Bennett, Exhibited, mermaid, nymph, World's Fair
Added to Gallery: May 9, 2018

 

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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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