Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration
Welcome to Grapefruit Moon Gallery. Here you will find an archived visual history of past sales. Pretty to look at, some are quite old; but when they're in here, consider them sold!
A large allegorical oil on stretched canvas, created for a 1919 Edition Of Randolph Hearst’s Hearst Magazine. Titled ” In The Year Of Our Lord”. A handsome near nude angel in the midst of a gathering of the wretched in a Book of Revelations inspired scene. This mythic and richly iconic humanist, sensuous, yet spiritual art is the genre Charles Allan Winter helped develop. This is a deeply moving and emotionally raw published original painting by this leading artist.
Artist: Charles Winter
A large Victorian watercolor by famed illustrator Albert Beck Wenzell featuring an Art Nouveau virginal beauty surrounded by putti shown in idyllic purity with nimbis overhead. Wenzell is best known for his 1903 illustrated book The Passing Show. He also created stunning murals for the New Amsterdam Theater in New York City at the turn of the last century and was a cover artist for leading early 20th century magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post.
Artist: Albert Wenzell
This is original artwork by the legendary art nouveau illustrator, Raphael Kirchner. This piece was commissioned for a turn-of-the-century postcard. Kirchner was revered for his sensual and sexually-provocative “Kirchner Girls”. These appeared monthly in La Vie Parisienne, a notorious French publication. Kirchner was perhaps best known as a postcard illustrator. This is a wonderfully detailed, stylized art nouveau rendering of a pan flute playing maiden. It is matted in a stunning period frame.
Artist: Raphael Kirchner
Grapefruit Moon Gallery is delighted to offer a new to the market large Brown & Bigelow commissioned original pastel illustration by Earl Moran titled Next Time. The luminous model is of course Marilyn Monroe, before she was transformed into the platinum blonde bombshell movie star. Norma Jeane Baker was a frequent pin-up model for photographers and illustrators in the late 1940’s, and her alarmingly nude centerfold depiction in the first issue of Playboy Magazine in 1953 launched the sexual revolution. Works of this magnitude by Moran rarely come on the market and this is a unique opportunity to own a fantastic piece of American cultural history.
Artist: Earl Moran
This Earl Moran original pastel features a cheeky, carhop waitress from the long-gone drive-in-diner era, providing car side service with a smile. This pastel was commissioned by Brown & Bigelow, a sample printed ink blotter is included in sale. Text reads in full A waitress leads a happy life, and sunshine fills her days. The outlook’s good the job is fine, because money grows on trays.
Artist: Earl Moran
A dazzling, acrobatic pin-up girl by Al Buell created on commission for the Osborne Calendar Company. This dramatic view is set against a big top trapeze backdrop and pops against the stark black backdrop. Original pin-up works by Al Buell are quite rare, and this fine original artwork exemplifies his unique and masterful style. This bright fresh oil on board comes very nicely framed and matted, condition is pristine.
Artist: Al Buell
A breathtaking and evocative sensual moonlit nude by Vaughan Alden Bass. The Veronica Lake look-alike is drenched in streaming moonglow rays in her dark colored boudoir. The unusual color palette employed by Bass gives the work a surreal glow. A stirring masterful work by this under valued and gifted pin-up artist and illustrator. This was gathered from the Saint Paul Estate of a 92 year old woman whose husband worked for the Louis F. Dow Calendar Company.
Artist: Vaughan Bass
We are delighted to offer an extraordinary, large, masterfully executed and cleverly conceived oil on stretched canvas by Charles Bosseron Chambers. This is a dark take on the nude forest nymph theme which captivated the likes of Arthur Spear, Maxfield Parrish and Robert Atkinson Fox. In this work the nude nymph is visted by elfin eared musical satyrs which represent, to the deeply religious Chambers, the underworld of sensuality. This allegorical work is haunting and evocotive, the nude is rendered with great care and a mastery of the female form which is second to none. This is among the finest works we have offered; the painterly technique and technical expertise of C. Bosseron Chambers is masterfully harnessed in this work. Framed in a museum quality art deco aesthetic gallery frame. A haunting epic work that examines the allure of temptation and the temptation of allure.
Artist: Charles Bosseron Chambers
An original gouache humorous Edwardian boudoir themed interior painting for the notorious French publication La Vie Parisienne. The long running, blatantly at times erotic and racy magazine that chronicled the exploits and sexual proclivities of sassy and free spirited French follies showgirls and their often dim witted suitors in risque, breezy, spicy pulp-like fashion. Maurice Milliere was a frequent contributor of cover illustrations. French text on margin translates to “I’m all that you have”. This is framed in a museum quality genuine gold gilt hand carved frame .
Artist: Maurice Milliere
A signed and dated 1943 erotic, lesbian-themed, art deco nude pastel by the notorious New York City libertine photographer and fine artist G. Maillard Kesslere. This defiantly “out” New York vanguard artist made his name by blurring the distinctions between the homosexual arts community and high society during the avant-garde interwar era. Both his pastels and photographs of sensuously-posed follies showgirls were much in demand among sophisticated circles during the exuberant, decadent art deco era.
Artist: G. Maillard Kesslere
