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!
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
A sultry, deviant yet sensual young nude by the Hungarian-American painter Pal Fried; a prolific, wildly popular painter who specialized in ballerinas and nudes. Marked on verso stretcher ” Lita ” # 44339. Comes in original ornate lovely gesso frame. A large pristine defining example signed upper right.
Artist: Pal Fried
An unusual pen & ink drawing by famed William Randolph Hearst illustrator Nell Brinkley, creator of the Brinkley Girl. This intricately detailed 1931 illustration offers satirical social commentary on the deliterious effects the ongoing Great Depression was having on economic health around the world. In this lighter take on troubled times, an enchanting Brinkley Girl and other assorted imp-ish friends try to soften the stern face on “Old Man Depression.”
Artist: Nell Brinkley
A beautiful and mysterious original art deco period oil on canvas, titled on verso Vanity. Art is signed in upper left, as seen, and appears to be Jochumsen. I believe the artist was a Oliver C. Jochumsen who worked in Philadelphia and later mover to Arizona and was a painter there of some merit, so much in fact the Arizona watercolor society currently awards the “Oliver C. Jochumsen” honor to new emerging artists. A delightful, Art Deco nude rendering with swans, which borrows from the Leda And The Swan motif. I cannot tell you more about this work other than that it is vintage, 1920’s, and really wonderful as a decorative art piece or perhaps as a published piece in Vanity Fair or Vogue, or another period publication.
Artist: Oliver Jochumsen
This is an absolutely exquisite pastel in the pre-Raphaelite style which depicts a climactic scene from “The Geste of Duke Joceyln.” Originally used as the frontispiece for the light verse novel by popular English author Jeffrey Farnol, the scene features the fetching Duchess Yolande being presented at court after winning the heart of Duke Jocelyn. This is a shining example of Eric Pape’s whimsical yet classic style of illustrating, and features remarkable use of color and detailing. Pape was a well-regarded and often-exhibited artist from the turn of the 20th century until his death in 1938. His original art is highly coveted and recently his pastel work has fetched $45,000.00 at Christies. This epic pastel is one of the nicest examples of Pape’s work I have come across.
Artist: Eric Pape
scarce surviving original Indian Maiden themed mixed media work by L. Goddard. Used as a published calendar by The Thomas D. Murphy Calendar Company, Red Oak Iowa in the early 1920’s with the title Minnehaha, Laughing Water. In original ornate incredible gesso frame. Comes with a dated 1926 sample calendar featuring the published artwork.
Artist: L. Goddard
A defining and flat out extrordinary original illustration painting for a as of yet undetermined science fiction pulp magazine cover By Lloyd Rognan (1923-2005). An Original oil on Norlin illustration board depicting space travelers among the ruins of a railroad union station from the 1950’s. Present in the image are advertising icons such as Kodak and the B & O Railroad. The artist recently passed away and many works were recently auctioned off directly from his estate. This to my eyes was the defining work by this highly regarded and frequently published illustrator.
Artist: Lloyd Rognan
A signed and dated ’40 by B.W. Rockey cover for Lariat Story a western themed long running pulp publication. Rockey is an illustration artist who did several classic pulp covers of Western, Gangster and Detective themes. Works from his estate surfaced in Kansas City in 1996. The Medium is oil on canvas mounted on board with printer’s notations on the reverse. Work is beautifully framed and in excellent condition.
Artist: B. W. Rockey
