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 electrifying, intense, and important original oil painting by Eric Pape for a 1928 Edition of Victor Hugo’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” A dark and macabre masterwork from a climactic mob scene in this brooding despairing tale, the work is featured as a full page color-plate on page 488 in the chapter “An Awkward Friend”. An artist signed hard cover edition of the book is included with the sale and the work is nicely matted and framed in a period frame behind glass.
Artist: Eric Pape
An original interior art nouveau glamour creation by noted illustrator, Charles Sheldon. This image was commissioned for use as a fashion plate for the prestigious Woman’s Home Companion. Artwork is beautifully framed, shows some minor soiling and has one small area of paper loss on lower left in black charcoal strokes, an easy repair.
Artist: Charles Sheldon
An important and technically masterful large format cover oil painting by James Avati, for the 1950 Signet books release of Love Knows No Barriers written by Will Thomas
Artist: James Avati
This cover painting by Tom Beecham for True Strange magazine is comprised of a montage of Marilyn Monroe imagery.
Artist: Tom Beecham
A modernist abstract mixed media painting by Virgil Finlay, who was an important prolific American pulp and science fiction illustrator. Signed and dated 1965 lower right and titled on verso #51. Executed in a colorful and abstract manner with raised translucent areas, oil paint and pen and ink. Smartly framed and ready to hang.
Artist: Virgil Finlay
Shortly after the Armistice of 1918 brought an end to World War I, an outbreak of violence within San Francisco’s Chinatown attracted national attention, and raised awareness of the off-and-on gangland violence known as the Tong wars. As San Francisco became known as home to the largest Chinese population anywhere outside of Asia, fascination about […]
Artist: Pedro Llanuza
An inventive and smart C.1930 pastel by frequent Golden Age of Hollywood Movie Magazine cover artist Mila Baine, showing a radiant and stylish Claudette Colbert. Likely a cover for the title Movie Mirror, where Blaine did numerous commissioned covers of Hollywood’s leading ladies in the early 1930s. From the collection of Ken Galente, former owner of Silver Screen Gallery in New York City.
Artist: Mila Baine
Dating to approximately 1910, this large and expertly rendered gouache painting likely was used as magazine advertising art for Kodak Cameras in American weekly magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post. This bears a Forbes Litho Company of Boston ad agency verso label and bears the name of “Thompson” on the back of the illustration board, the artist is unidentified at this point. Titled “Vacation Requirement” this is great early 20th century advertising Americana treasure with a stylish Edwardian attired family cooling off at the beach.
Artist: Unknown
This antique framed etching dates to 1919 and is a wonderful, large example by the noted British fine artist and illustrator Frank Brangwyn. The artwork retains its original ornate Arts & Crafts aesthetic gold carved frame and original glass. The image shows an atmospheric night time scene of Cannon Street Station, in London. Brangwyn was […]
Artist: Frank Brangwyn
The 1961 cover painting for the Beacon Book title Wild Body was created by an as-of-yet unidentified American artist. This novel by Manning Clay first appeared in digest form in 1953, our gallery also has that earlier cover painting available for sale. This lurid sleaze pulp fiction offering promises a wild ride — with more […]
Artist: Unknown American Artist
