Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration
At the turn of the 20th century, Industrial Revolution inventions brought technological advancements to printmaking that ushered in a Golden Age of American illustration. Publishers and calendar companies developed new techniques for producing multi-color offset lithographs that were fast, affordable, and flat-out glorious to view, blurring the distinction between fine art and "art for commerce." The best examples by the finest commercial illustrators were revered by the public, and today are beloved by collectors.
O my Luve's like a red, red rose that’s newly sprung in June Enchanting, dream-like, and romantic, American illustrator Zula Kenyon's early 20th century portraits offer up a soft, supple, and genteel look at the Edwardian woman. This original pastel on canvas illustration dates to 1914 and features a brunette beauty with milky-white skin draped […]
Artist: Zula Kenyon
Price: $2,500.00
Commercial Advertising Art by Harold McCauley In the 1960s, after a successful career as a pulp, and later, paperback cover artist, Harold McCauley was faced with the reality of a dwindling market for his brand of sci-fi and fantasy illustration. Moving away from freelance work, the artist found employment as a company illustrator for The […]
Artist: Harold McCauley
Price: $1,250.00
Flowers of the Field by Haskell Coffin This is a lovely, published calendar girl pastel illustration by the prolific American artist and illustrator Haskel Coffin. This shows a demure, doe-eyed, delicate brunette beauty with a posey of freshly picked daisies. The illustration was published by The Osborne Calendar Company with the title, "Flowers of the […]
Artist: Haskell Coffin
Price: $3,500.00
Demure Woman in Straw Bonnet by J. Knowles Hare This is a large, early 1900s pastel illustration by John Knowles Hare that was created for the calendar market during the Edwardian era. In this portrait, a demure brown-eyed lass gazes out towards the viewer from underneath a stylish, wide-brimmed straw bonnet with flowers. This lovely […]
Artist: J. Knowles Hare
Price: $3,500.00
The Underwood American Girl Calendar - The Girl of the East This large Clarence Underwood gouache painting appeared as the first page in the 1909 Underwood American Girl Calendar with the title The Girl Of The East. The calendar was published by The Frederick A. Stokes Company. The image features a handsome young dapper gent […]
Artist: Clarence F. Underwood
Price: $3,500.00
Parisian Victorian Maiden by Hamilton King This is a fabulous, turn of-the-last-century, large pastel on tinted artist's paper by the prolific American illustrator Hamilton King. In this portrait a Parisian Victorian beauty in a large plumed hat stylishly traverses through a windy Paris winter day. The pastel is nicely matted and framed under glass and […]
Artist: Hamilton King
Price: $3,500.00
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 "Autumn", an original […]
Artist: J. Knowles Hare
Price: $3,500.00
Charming Family Illustration by Samuel Frantz This is a wholesome interior scene done en grisaille in oil on canvas by Russian artist and illustrator Samuel Frantz. A young family is gathered in celebration as the young men of the family present a youthful flapper beauty with gifts of candy and a wax sealer set. We […]
Artist: Samuel Marshall Frantz
Price: $1,850.00
Edwardian Equestrian Scene by Henry Hutt This is a large format, published gouache painting on illustration board by the prolific American illustrator Henry Hutt. This painting appeared in print version with the title "Thoroughbreds", and was published in 1904 by Harper And Brothers; a vintage print is included in the sale. In this depiction, an […]
Artist: Henry Hutt
Price: $2,850.00
Love's Young Dream by Carle J. Blenner This is a soft, moody, and evocative pastel by the well-listed and prolific illustrator Carle J. Blenner. This features a lovely Edwardian maiden in a loose fitting pink dress with a plunging neckline that reveals a tantalizing view of her bust line. This pastel was published as a […]
Artist: Carle J. Blenner
Price: $4,500.00
Reading Victorian Maiden with Kitten with Hamilton King This is a fabulous, dated 1901, large format pastel on tinted artist paper by the prolific American illustrator Hamilton King. In this portrait a bookish Victorian beauty in a large plumed hat catches up on her reading with a little kitten at her side. The pastel is […]
Artist: Hamilton King
Price: $3,500.00
Original Art by Gene Pressler This beautifully well-preserved pastel painting is by American artist and illustrator Gene Pressler. With a rich color palette and Pressler's signature glow, this pastel features a rosy-cheeked blue eyed stylish Edwardian in attire lass. We assume this was created sometime in the 1910s as magazine cover art but thus far […]
Artist: Gene Pressler
Price: $6,500.00
