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!
This lighthearted cheesecake pin up illustration graced the January 1956 page of Bill Randall’s wildly popular “Randall’s Date Book” 12 page calendar series. For his “Date Book” commissions, Randall played off the success of the Brown & Bigelow Calendar company’s yearly Artist Sketch Pad pin up calendar, while adding his own charm and whimsy. Work […]
Artist: Bill Randall
This lighthearted cheesecake pin up illustration graced the January 1957 page of Bill Randall’s wildly popular “Randall’s Date Book” 12 page calendar series. For his “Date Book” commissions, Randall played off the success of the Brown & Bigelow Calendar company’s yearly Artist Sketch Pad pin up calendar, while adding his own charm and whimsy. Working […]
Artist: Bill Randall
Evoking both French impressionism and the regionalist spirit of the WPA, this Dewey Albinson oil on canvas shows a pair of figures (seemingly father and daughter) walking through a country lane on a summer afternoon. With their backs to the viewer, the pair walk from the shadows towards the sunshine, but further down their path […]
Artist: Dewey Albinson
This stylized and dramatic large gouache painting was created by the well regarded American Golden Age Illustrator Wilmot Emerton Heitland as an interior magazine illustration. In this dramatic art deco scene, a confrontation in an artist’s studio plays out as the handsome male artist appears to be at odds with his pretty svelte modernist flapper […]
Artist: Wilmot Heitland
A wildly erotic and revealed pin-up girl cover painting by the well regarded and prolific American illustrator and cover artist Paul Rader, for the 1960 Midwood Book titled “The Blonde”. Part of what is today considered the golden age of lesbian pulp fiction, “The Blonde” tells the story of a tormented working girl who finds […]
Artist: Paul Rader
A lurid and prototypically noir paperback cover painting by the prolific American artist and illustrator Victor Olson, for the 1965 Midwood Book title Down And Out. Written by Les Masters – a well proportioned young housewife gets herself in financial hot water unbeknownst to her husband, she has to sell her valor to this snarky […]
Artist: Victor Olson
This original late 1940s-early 1950s pin-up sketch drawing is attributed to Gil Elvgren and was originally purchased from the artist’s son. Years ago, this was acquired by our colleague Rick Martin, author of the reference guide Vintage Illustration, and full provenance history comes with purchase. The work is unsigned, and as such can only be […]
Artist: Attributed to Gil Elvgren
A patriotic red, white and blue in color 1940s WWII era original pin-up painting by the prolific calendar artist Walt Otto. A darling depiction of a curvy brunette pin-up girl bowling, in sexy Victory Girl attire. Otto made a career of creating the active type pin-up, his paintings appeared twice as covers for the Saturday […]
Artist: Walt Otto
An enchanting and one of a kind original watercolor by my favorite illustrator, Henry Clive. Given as a Christmas present in 1928. Inscribed “Dear old Art — Be good and you’ll be eccentric.” Dated “Hollywood-Christmas 1928.” Watercolor mimics a published Smart Set cover. I will include color copy of the published cover with sale.
Artist: Henry Clive
A classic situational cheesecake pin up mishap unfolds in this original Louis F. Dow calendar painting by the Chicago area artist Charles Showalter titled “High & Dry.” The lovely nude is caught, high, and perhaps now dry after removing her clothes. Grapefruit Moon Gallery recently acquired this and several other Louis F. Dow published calendar […]
Artist: Charles Showalter
