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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 Sunshine Girl – Spring

Artist:J. Knowles Hare
Date:1918
Medium:Pastel on illustration board
Dimensions:Framed: 30.5" x 36.5" | Sight size: 25" x 31"
Condition:Excellent with a little soiling in the outer margins framed in original frame under glass.
Original Use:Calendar art for the Sunshine Biscuits Company
Price: Sold
Full view
The artist’s signature middle left
Published Advertising Calendar of pastel (included in sale)

J. Knowles Hare original advertising pastel for Sunshine Biscuits

This large and enchanting pastel was created by the American illustrator J. Knowles Hare as advertising calendar art for Sunshine Biscuits. This New York bakery marketed calendar girl calendars in the early 1900s under the name “The Sunshine Girl”. This example was titled “Spring”, an original 1918 advertising calendar featuring the image is included in the sale. This sort of branded calendar was an advertising innovation in the late 19th/early 20th century which let grocers and general stores who carried Sunshine products subsidize advertising their own local stores by showing their details alongside the Sunshine branding. This large pastel is housed in the original wide profile wood frame under glass.

Detail
Framed under glass in original wide profile walnut frame

This illustration comes from the collection of esteemed illustration art collector Norman Platnick.

About the artist: J. Knowles Hare

Known for his drypoint etching portraits and his magazine cover illustrations, J. Knowles Hare was born in Montclair, New Jersey. He was a member of the Society of Illustrators in New York. In the early 1900s he had many magazine covers, and he also did drypoint etchings, one of the more famous being “Sympathy.”

He was a frequent contributor of saccharine portraits of 1920s-type young women for the covers of “The Saturday Evening Post” and “The Country Gentleman” magazines.

There is some confusion as to whether he went by the name John or Joseph, with his family and scholars like Norm Platnick determining he used Joseph, but archives of employers such at “The Saturday Evening Post” recording his name as John.

The Legacy of Norman Platnick

In his New York Times obituary, Norman Platnick’s son Will said that his father had three passions in life, his wife Nancy, spiders, and collecting.

Few individuals have the chance to leave a mark like Norm’s in even one field, let alone two. But Norm managed to be both a celebrated scientist, and one of the most influential lay historians of illustration art.

Under his imprint Enchantment Ink, Norm researched, wrote, and published collectors guides to artists like Rolf Armstrong and Earl Christy. We at Grapefruit Moon Gallery rely on these books in our work, and they are now all freely available as PDFs through the Enchantment Ink website.

Norm’s expertise was a gift, his friendship was a treasure, and his legacy is immeasurable. He is missed.

The Sunshine Girl – Spring

Artist: J. Knowles Hare
Price:  Sold

Filed Under: Sorry, It's Sold
Tagged With: 1910s, advertising, american, art nouveau, Calendar, Edwardian, glamour, Golden Age, J. Knowles Hare, Norman Platnick, pastel, pin up, Sunshine Biscuits
Added to Gallery: July 4, 2020

 

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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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