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.
A beautiful and delicately rendered oil on canvas of a formal flapper girl in glamorous evening winter wear. An original oil on stretched canvas by the noted female artist and illustrator Edna Crompton. This was used as cover art for The Redbook Magazine February 1925. The artist also worked prolifically creating calendar art glamour images throughout the 1920s.
Artist: Edna Crompton
A colorful, bright and decorative art deco era original gouache illustration painting, created for print use by an as of yet unidentified fruit/produce company. A handsome shirtless native effortlessly navigates a tropical waterway in a fruit filled gondola. In style and execution, this work is reminiscent of many of the Travel Magazine covers commissioned for print use of the same era. Nicely matted and framed in an art deco period silver gesso handsome wood frame.
Artist: E. B. Segner
A stylish art deco era smartly rendered original gouache illustration painting created as Raleigh Cigarettes advertising. A flirty idealized modern couple spark up more than a conversation with a prominently featured cigarette. This work of some of the George Petty stylized advertising illustrations for “Acme Beer” and “Chesterfield Cigarettes” of the same era. Nicely matted and framed in an art deco period gesso handsome wood frame.
Artist: E. B. Segner
A large and dramatic interior illustration by Walt Louderback for an American Slick magazine such as Collier’s or The Saturday Evening Post. An impressionist style, colorful and free flowing view of a delightful young red headed girl depicted against a backdrop of cyprus trees and a flat bottomed boat. In fine ornate frame.
Artist: Walt Louderback
A delicate and dazzling example of Wladyslaw Theodor Benda’s portraiture with an exotic stylized Benda Girl. A mixed media work, on a verso addressed illustration board with a demure and soft focused masterfully conceived mysterious ingenue. This was presumably done as cover art and the back is dated 1928. Looks very much like covers done for Hearst’s International or The Shrine Magazine.
Artist: Wladyslaw Benda
A large, masterfully rendered, noir dramatic interior illustration by Cecil Calvert Beall. From the illustrated serialization of Sax Rohmer’s Fu Manchu, published by Collier’s Magazine in 1948. Comes with a copy of the published magazine, artwork is beautifully framed in a period gold gesso ornate frame. Story caption reads “In a dazzling, crackling flash, Nayland Smith saw a lump of solid steel not melt, but disentigrate, vanish! A pinch of gray powder alone remained.”
Artist: C. C. Beall
A finely detailed intricate 1920s illustration by noted comic artist and illustrator Jay Irving. This differs from his often times loose and quickly rendered interior comic gag cartoon style, as it is a much more detailed and intricately rendered work. I am presuming it was used as a cover for Judge Magazine as there is a large border in the upper portion for the title of the magazine to be added, and the appearance, size of work, date of illustration board and subject matter would fit the magazine’s tone and overall aesthetic.
Artist: Jay Irving
An original pastel by noted cover illustrator Marland Stone a striking pastel portrait of the fetching and talented Silent Movie and early talkie star Norma Shearer.This appeared as a cover for Screenland Magazine under the title Spotlight Cover of Norma Shearer.
Artist: Marland Stone
A summer themed, bright, fresh interior story illustration from an American Slick Magazine perhaps Cosmopolitan, Liberty or The Ladies’ Home Journal. A crisply executed, apple pie Americana genre vision. This peaceful artwork showcases the post WWII economic boom and leisure pursuits of the growing American middle class.
Artist: Robert Patterson
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A serene and expertly rendered early original pastel from the admired female Jazz Age illustrator Neysa McMein. This illustration was created as the cover of the October 1921 issue of Woman’s Home Companion. Pictured is New York City blue blood debutante and silent movie star Mrs. Lydig (Julia) Hoyt. McMein gained notoriety in the 1920’s and 30’s as an independent, feminist minded free spirit. She roamed with the Algonquin Round Table set crowd of heavy drinking, free spirited New York City intellengtsia.
Artist: Neysa McMein
