Above: Full view of pastel

Above: The artist’s signature

Above: Detail

A large and magnificent rare surviving signed F. Earl Christy pastel advertising illustration on canvas for “The Princess Pat” Cosmetic Company. A defining and glamorous pin up girl with a chic and elegantly sophisticated jazz-age style and modernist machine age aesthetic. F. Earl Christy was a prolific early 1900’s illustrator who’s career spanned four decades. We rarely come across his original works. An estate fresh large and luminous example of the “Christy Girl” from the artist’s very best period, nicely matted and framed in a pristine state of original conservation.

Above: Detail

Above: Framed and matted view

F. Earl Christy – 1882 – 1961

Christy studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, his father, William, subsidized his early career as a commercial illustrator (1905-1906). Christy practically invented the illustrated image of the Victorian ideal of the “All-American Girl,” at least for the Ivy-League set. His early works glorified the society college girl – always beautifully dressed at football games, golf and tennis tournaments, riding in automobiles or playing instruments. His first College Girl postcard series was published in 1905 by the U.S.S. Postcard Company. Here is an example of an early 1900’s “Christy Girl” Postcard

During the 1920’s the illustrator worked in advertising and created hundreds of Silent Movie era covers for Photoplay, Modern Screen, Pictorial Review, Popular Songs, Radio Stars, Screen Album, Screen Romances, and Shadowplay glamorizing the “More Stars Than There are in Heaven” Hollywood, tinseltown era star set. Here are four example of F. Earl Christy cover portraits for art deco era magazines.

This illustrators works can also be found on sheet music, fans, blotters, book illustrations, boxes, jigsaw puzzles, posters, serving trays, bookmarks, advertising mailers, catalogs, programs, china, and textiles.