Above: Myrna Hansen as posed by Elvgren for “Aw-Come On” photo courtesy of Marianne at moppinup.com

Grapefruit Moon Gallery is delighted to offer Gil Elvgren’s original 1953 oil painting “Aw-Come On” which was commissioned and completed for The Brown & Bigelow Calendar Company. One of the artist’s more enduring and popular pin up images, this artwork features frequent model Myrna Hansen posed as a matador of sorts attempting to use her feminine wiles to persuade her disinterested poodle pup to take a turn in the ring.

Above: Inventory notation on back pine stretcher #32

Above: Verso view of untouched canvas and stretchers

Above: Original stretchers and verso label

The Elvgren girl enjoyed her greatest success when she was set in motion doing something. The artist quickly evolved from his early art deco era period works for The Louis F. Dow Company, where stiffer and less detailed creations appeared somewhat lifeless in their canvas confines. In comparison these 1950s – 1960s era luminous masterworks featured flirty and uniquely personal “girl next door” type models that were captured with humor, beauty and warmth of personality. So much in fact Elvgren came to be called “The Norman Rockwell of Pin-up”. The oil paintings from this association with The Brown & Bigelow Calendar Company are the most coveted and prized selections from within the whole genre as recent auction records on Elvgren topping out at over $262,000.00 in 2008 attest.