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.
Flapper Girl with Fan by Charles Allan Gilbert On offer is a lovely pastel illustration by C. Allan Gilbert. It depicts a stylish flapper girl in a pretty beaded black dress with a large ostrich plume hand fan. It is our hunch that was created for the calendar market. It is signed in the upper […]
Artist: Charles Allan Gilbert
Victorian Cover Art by Archie Gunn This is a large format and racy (for the times) Victorian cover illustration for the long-running weekly periodical Truth Magazine. Created by illustrator Archie Gunn, this appeared as the cover for the January 13, 1894 edition with a title of “How Those Girls Love One Another”. Two girlfriends are […]
Artist: Archie Gunn
New Idea Cover Girl This is a large, well conceived, and beautifully detailed watercolor on artist’s paper by illustrator Z.P. Nikolaki. It appeared as the cover for the April 1910 issue of New Idea Woman’s Magazine. In this portrait a pretty, young Edwardian maiden in a wide brimmed garden hat prepares for her daily stroll with […]
Artist: Z.P. Nikolaki
An Edwardian Calendar Girl This is a large format, published watercolor and gouache painting on illustration board by the prolific American illustrator Henry Hutt. This painting appeared as the January 1907 page of “The Henry Hutt Calendar”. In this portrait a cinched waist Edwardian beauty delights the eye with a cane and masquerade mask held […]
Artist: Henry Hutt
This large and enchanting pastel was created by the American illustrator J. Knowles Hare as advertising calendar art for Sunshine Biscuits.
Artist: J. Knowles Hare
Redbook Cover by Haskell Coffin This romantic and dreamy pastel by the important pretty girl illustrator Haskell Coffin appeared as the cover of the July 1923 edition of Redbook magazine. In the 1920s, Redbook was one of the premiere fiction magazines in the country, with stories by authors ranging from Jack London to Edith Wharton. […]
Artist: Haskell Coffin
Neysa McMein advertisement for Wallace Silver This stunning and expertly rendered pastel by Jazz Age illustrator Neysa McMein appeared as advertising for the R. Wallace & Sons Mfg. Co.’s line of silver plate. Connecting the elegance of McMein’s flapper beauty to the idealized “perfect hostess”, this provides a wonderful window into what was considered “the […]
Artist: Neysa McMein
Henry Vallely for Rit Dye Henry Vallely created this portrait style illustration of a charming flapper in a winter hat as advertising art for Rit Dye. The company was founded in 1918, and was one of the first domestic manufacturers of fabric dye for at home use. According to their website the founder named the […]
Artist: Henry Vallely
Albert Neville’s Flapper Girls This opulent and provocative pastel on board is one of the many art deco glamour girl illustrations Albert Neville created during his career as a movie magazine cover artist, and freelance calendar illustrator. Heavily inspired by the floating head flapper girls Rolf Armstrong specialized in during the 1920s, this shows a […]
Artist: Albert Neville
Cabin art and Hy Hintermeister This is a fantastic, well-preserved, original oil on canvas painting by the father-son illustration team of John Henry Hintermeister and Henry Hintermeister who collectively painted under the name Hy Hintermeister. A tremendous example of nostalgic Americana cabin art, this piece features a tender-footed camper who finds himself run up a […]
Artist: Hy Hintermeister
