This is a beautiful, unique, and rare preliminary graphite drawing by Gil Elvgren for the completed Brown & Bigelow calendar artwork titled “Modern Venus.” This loose, fluid sketch shows a classic Elvgren nude pin-up girl seated in a draped studio setting surrounded by flowers and holding draped fabrics and ribbons.

Gil Elvgren took, on average, one week to complete each of the 400+ pin-up paintings he created for Brown and Bigelow. With this time frame, it was impossible to use a live model for the actual paintings so Elvgren sketched quick charcoal and/or graphite reference preliminary ideas from life and enlisted Peter Darro (a pin-up artist in his own right) as studio assistant and photographer. Elvgren used these drawings and photographs for reference while at the easel working on his iconic pin-up paintings.

This comes from a collection of Gil Elvgren preliminary graphite drawings we acquired which were found in a house in Sarasota, Florida where the artist once lived. Drawing has been professionally matted and shrink wrapped – ready for framing and display!