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 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 glamourous and serene large rendering of long reigning screen star siren Loretta Young in pastel done for a cover of Romantic Story Magazine by noted Brown & Bigelow pin-up artist and prolific cover illustrator Zoe Mozert. Mozert executed over 400 covers for such titles as Screen Book, True Romance, True Confessions and Randolph Hearst’s American Weekly. Titled on verso Letters and in fine print the letter is addressed to Louis B. Meyer Paramount film head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Artist: Zoe Mozert
A defining huge original charcoal on board of a divine bathing beauty in a smart, streamlined art deco style by the American Illustrator McClelland Barclay. Model looks to be Gracie Allen and this was most likely used in the General Motors Body by Fisher Advertising campaign for which Barclay is fondly remembered. Work is a defining example by this talented and prolific artist and beautifully matted and framed.
Artist: McClelland Barclay
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 large original commissioned pin-up genre pastel on illustration board by Knute O. Munson for a 1952 Brown & Bigelow Calendar titled Our Knowledge and Experience At Your Command. This was given to a store owner in Tulsa Oklahoma decades earlier by the regional Brown & Biglelow salesman there as a reward for advertising with his company. It is cleverly signed lower left on the spine of one of the books.
Artist: K. O. Munson
A large original commissioned pin-up genre pastel on illustration board by Knute O. Munson for a 1949 Brown & Bigelow Calendar titled Top Service Is Delivered. This was given to a store owner in Tulsa Oklahoma decades earlier by the regional Brown & Biglelow salesman there as a reward for advertising with his company. It is cleverly signed on the falling package by the artist.
Artist: K. O. Munson
From the estate of noted wildlife artist Paul Bramson comes this unique pair of W.T. Benda mask motif plaster bookends. These were most likely a gift: they are impressed and signed by the artist as seen, and the paint effect was applied by Benda himself to create an antiquated, relic type of “found remains” appearance. Benda was a famed illustrator and exceptional mask maker and published a book in 1944 on his technique and glorious fine, often times whimsical masks.
Artist: Wladyslaw Benda
A very fine arts & crafts, art nouveau aesthetic erotic nude Trumeau Mirror. The nude model is Evelyn Nesbit, the notorious Girl In The Red Velvet Swing. Manufactured by Morris & Bendien, New York and titled Fountain Of Youth. Retains its original and flat out great “bat wing,” pie-crust E.S. Curtis-esque gesso frame, with original verso paper and title on back panel as seen.
Artist: Morris & Bendien N.Y.
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
