Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration
Risqué and fetching maidens have always been popular artistic subjects and the perfect vehicle to advertise just about any product, add allure to any magazine, or brighten any calendar. In the 1930s, Rolf Armstrong and Billy Devorss’s Art Deco sophisticates were everyone’s dream girl. During World War II, George Petty and Alberto Vargas created patriotic lithe modernist heartbreakers for the pages of Esquire Magazine to keep servicemen company, and soon there was a calendar girl for every taste--whether you preferred the girl next door or the one from the wrong side of the tracks. In post-war America, the youthful spirit personified by Earl Moran’s cheesecake depictions of Marilyn Monroe reigned, and pin up and glamour art remained unflaggingly popular. Today, original pin up and glamour art is more coveted by collectors than ever, and its influence on contemporary fashion, art, and culture is everywhere.
An original commissioned oil on canvas for Brown and Bigelow for use as a reproduced calendar pin-up illustration by Paul Cernia. A fun western-themed cowgirl image in the Gil Elvgren manner of campy, sexy, shapely, pin-up frivolity. Nicely framed and in excellent untouched original condition.
Artist: Paul Cernia
A rare surviving fresh estate find, an original pastel cover done for The American Weekly from a series titled, Visions Of An Artist, circa 1937. This particular series seems to artistically “feminize” natural disasters. Aptly titled “Menace”. Beautifully matted and framed in an expensive gallery frame as seen. This was renamed by the magazine and appeared as a cover under the title “Angry Nature” on Feb 28, 1937. This was unearthed in California recently and was in the estate of Patricia Lake, the rumored illigitimate daughter of Hearst and his long time mistress and confident, Marion Davies.
Artist: Henry Clive
A rare surviving fresh estate find; an original pastel cover created for The American Weekly from a series titled, Visions Of An Artist, circa 1937. This particular series seems to artistically “feminize” natural disasters and this piece is aptly titled “Maid of the Mist”. Beautifully matted and framed in a period, vintage gesso, antique frame as seen. This was unearthed in California recently and was in the estate of Patricia Lake, the rumored illigitimate daughter of Hearst and his long time mistress and confident, Marion Davies.
Artist: Henry Clive
A wonderful commisioned Brown and Bigelow “Calendar Girl” original pastel by Earl Moran, for an August 1956 Calendar, titled NOW’S THE TIME FOR DREAMS OF YOU, A PLEASURE FINE AND WONDROUS TOO… Classic American pin-up imagery, a seated, Marilyn Monroe-esque, redhead reclining in a diaphonous, green silk nightgown. Sale includes a color, printed calendar page and a mutoscope card of image as seen. In period gesso wood frame, nicely and professionally double matted and ready to hang.
Artist: Earl Moran
An original art deco pastel by noted cover illustrator and sometimes pin-up creator, Victor Tchetchet. Illustrating the interior story by John Erskine titled Thargelia. Face is very Rolf Armstrong-esque. A worn tear sheet of the cover is included in the sale, nicely framed and double matted in a vintage gesso period frame.
Artist: Victor Tchetchet
A winsome and exceedingly scarce original cover illustration for an as of yet un-identified Spicy Pulp Magazine . Looks alot like the creations of Peter Driben and she is costumed like an Enoch Bolles Film Fun girl . Painting is artist signed, a fresh estate find and really a definitive example of this highly collected American Art genre.
Artist: Winer
This large original circus motif oil painting was painted by famed illustrator Karl Godwin for Ethyl Gasoline captioned … ” Ethyl controls The Giant Power Of Gasoline … ” And is signed lower left. Godwin was a painter, illustrator and etcher from Canada who studied with Charles Hawthorne and Sigguard Skou, at the ASL of New York City. An August 27, 1932 issue of Liberty Magazine with this piece as the inside cover advertisement is included in the sale.
Artist: Karl Godwin
I am proud to offer the original illustration, created in 1952 by T.N. Thompson for The Champion Line. This image turned up for many years and was featured on desk calendars, as well as large hanging calendars with commissioned advertising pads. The early title was: GALS IN GINGHAM SUITED DAD, BLONDES IN LACE FOR THIS LAD. Later when Marilyn Monroe became the international sensation and sexy nude pin-up, this was retitled simply Marilyn for obvious reasons. Double matted and professionally framed in a vintage, gold gesso, wood stepped frame. Includes a letter from Brown & Bigelow expressing this painting’s authenticity, and a copied catalog showing this iconic illustration in various incarnations from Champion Product Lines.
Artist: T. N. Thompson
This is a rare opportunity to purchase an original Art Deco Era pastel by undoubtably the finest female pin-up illustrator of this Golden Age! This large and breathtaking nude retains its original frame which was also hand-painted by the artist, Mabel Rollins Harris. Harris was a leading illustrator during the 1920’s and 1930’s and did calendar work for Brown & Bigelow and the Thomas D. Murphy Company, of which this is an example. Her original pastels are scarce and seldom come on the market. I just located a published version of this piece it is shown here and included in sale. It is completed artwork and, to these eyes, the finest of Harris’ creations.
Artist: Mabel Rollins Harris
An exceedingly scarce original oil painting by Henry Clive during his days as illustrator for Flo Ziegfeld & The Ziegfeld Follies. The show girl featured is the enduring silent movie star, Marion Davies. This large oil painting is featured in Charles Martignette & Louis Meisel’s pin-up “bible”, The Great American Pin-Up on page 52. This […]
Artist: Henry Clive
