Sorry, It's Sold

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!

Rolf Armstrong created this pastel titled “Come On In” for the Brown and Bigelow Calendar Company in 1941. The model is Jewel Flowers, Armstrong’s favorite subject and close friend. Originally, this pastel included the full body of the model, sitting in a pool with a Scottish Terrier. At some point, this illustration (like several other examples by Armstrong that have recently surfaced), was cut down to appear as a portrait. This was possibly altered by the artist himself, as Armstrong would rework and alter his pieces in the cases he retained physical possession of the originals, in order to reuse them for a second commission.

Come On In

Artist: Rolf Armstrong

An original pastel, gouache and graphite mixed media pin-up illustration by Frank D’Amario. Little has been written about D’Amario; we know that he worked for several calendar companies in the 1940s – 50s and was quite prolific producing dozens of published calendar pieces. Over our careers as antique dealers, we have sold many published examples of his work but his originals are scarce. This original pin-up illustration is beautifully framed and matted behind glass in a wide profile antique hand crafted gold painted basswood frame.

Sheer Mystery

Artist: Frank D'Amario

A delicately rendered, romanticized art nouveau maiden posed with a cornucopia filled with a plentiful summer’s harvest. This original watercolor illustration painting was created by the New York illustrator, muralist and fine artist Will Hicok Low for the August 1899 cover of McClure’s Magazine – Midsummer Fiction Number. A copy of the magazine is included in the sale and the painting is handsomely framed and matted behind glass and ready to enjoy.

The McClure’s Maiden

Artist: Will Hicok Low

This is a dazzling, masterful original calendar commissioned pastel by Billy Devorss. The large scale, finely rendered artwork was created for the Louis F Dow company, and the lavishly attired young model is the artists wife Gleena. This keenly detailed art deco portrait expertly demonstrates the attention to culture, haute couture fashion, and style that set Devorss apart from his contemporaries. Pastel is properly lined and matted and comes framed in a lavish gold gilt carved fine museum quality frame.

The Emerald Girl

Artist: Billy DeVorss

This ravishing red headed pin-up illustration by the prolific American illustrator and fine artist Roy Besser epitomizes the mid century modern style of pin up art popularized by George Petty & Alberto Vargas. In the image, a perky sun loving bathing beauty in stylish cats eye sunglasses shows off her bad girl side with a coy and inviting smile. Signed lower right a gouache painting on illustration board and a published work for as of yet unidentified print usage. Handsomely framed and double matted behind glass.

Red Headed Pin Up

Artist: Roy Besser

This oil on canvas is a fabulous and fresh to the market cover painting by the prolific American artist E.M. Jackson created for the November, 1930 issue of The Ladies Home Journal. A smartly posed flapper and rich autumn color palette mark this impressive depiction of a homecoming scene that captures the jazz age freedom of the college set.

The College Homecoming

Artist: E. M. Jackson

The climactic beach scene in the 1953 film From Here to Eternity is interpreted in this artwork for the men’s magazine market, and given a lurid slant well suited for the sweats. This well rendered unsigned gouache on illustration board painting comes from a collection of published works from the early years of Saga Magazine, a lurid title that thrived in the post-war pulp men’s market of the early 1950s. The work is attributed to Edward Valigursky who worked for Saga during the period.

From Here To Eternity

Artist: Ed Valigursky (attributed)

In the rubble of a war-torn central square in what appears to be Cuba, a ravishing blonde in form fitting red sweater stands unscathed, and seemingly victorious. This unsigned gouache painting comes from a collection of works we recently acquired that date to the early years of Saga Magazine. Saga was a lurid Men’s title that thrived in the post-war pulp, low brow magazine market of the early 1950s. On the back of one of the pieces within the collection was a verso tag which read “attributed to Valigursky – For Saga Magazine 40’s – 50s.”

Shootout At The Cantina

Artist: Ed Valigursky (attributed)

A direct and gritty, highly sexualized unsigned gouache on illustration board painting from a collection of works we recently acquired that are believed to come from the early years of Saga Magazine. Saga was a lurid Men’s title that thrived in the post war pulp low brow magazine market of the early 1950’s. This is a typical sweat magazine take on the old folklore tale of the farmer’s daughter. When we purchased this collection one of the old frames had a label on the back that read “attributed to Valigursky – For Saga Magazine 40’s – 50s.”

The Farmer’s Daughter

Artist: Ed Valigursky (attributed)

This delicately rendered original signed Pearl Frush watercolor pin-up illustration titled “Miss Gulf Coast”, was created for the 1947 Aqua Tour Series of bathing beauty images for the Shaw-Barton Calendar Company of Coshocton, Ohio. Pearl Frush was a prolific and talented female artist that was active during the 1940s and 50s and worked primarily out of Chicago. Painting is silk-matted and framed behind glass in a gorgeous wide profile museum quality gallery frame, signed lower right and verso is notated with usage publication text.

Miss Gulf Coast

Artist: Pearl Frush

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