Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration
 |
A well rendered humorous gouache calendar painting for the Brown & Bigelow Calendar by prolific and well listed staff artist Bill Layne. This was used in their 1957 Calendar line and is a precise depiction of what what Layne does best. Work is beautifully matted and framed in a maple gallery frame and ready to display.
Artist: Bill Layne
A charming and well rendered 1954 oil on canvas painting created for an Ohleen Dairy Calendar by the Louis F. Dow Company. The artist is Vaughan Alden Bass, who specialized in pin-up art for this Saint Paul Minnesota gone but not forgotten Calendar giant. Of particular note in this lovely painting is the adorable bakelite crib toy in the lower right corner. verso canvas is dated 1954, and stretcher is marked with Ohleen Dairy, 1954 Line and Current in pen.
Artist: Vaughan Bass
A snappy and sexy original pastel illustration by Earl Moran commissioned as a 1951 Brown & Bigelow calendar. Text reads “Here’s an extra addition you can hardly refuse; for this little gal is just covered in news…” Pastel is beautifully framed and condition is outstanding as is the image.
Artist: Earl Moran
A photo-realist, kinetic original oil on board by James Bama. This painting, created as a cover for Stag Magzine, illustrates the outlandish true story of Faustin Wirkus, an American soldier who became king of a small island off Haiti in 1906. Faustus was made famous in the 1930s book “The Magic Isle” and was a cult figure thereafter. Interior text reads in part “For five fabulous years, by order of the U.S. Marine Corps, he ruled the mid-ocean island- voodoo, personal harem and all.” Work is unsigned but article credits art by James Bama, magazine is included in sale.
Artist: James Bama
This wonderful, coy and large original pastel on board by Earl Moran was created as a commissioned illustration for Brown & Bigelow. The pin-up calendar image was published in the early 1950’s with the quip “Leading a parade Without a falter, is easier than leading A man to the altar.” Pastel is beautifully framed in a gold gilt fine museum frame and properly lined with printed tear sheet of published calendar included in sale.
Artist: Earl Moran
A large and new to the market, early 1950s pastel by Earl Moran, featuring the unlikely proportioned pin-up model Danice Daniels in a sexy, coy, playful, sex kitten pose that recalls Alberto Vargas’ work for the pages of Playboy Magazine during the era. Work is properly lined and housed in an attactive gallery frame. A fine example of Earl Moran’s masterful pastel work capturing his stylized ideals of feminine allure and temptation.
Artist: Earl Moran
An original and unusual painting by Paul Calle which illustrates The Warriors of Day by James Blish and was created as cover art for the work. This 1953 science fiction themed pulp appeared on Galaxy Fiction Novel #16. Nicely framed in a period gold gesso frame with the published pulp included in presentation.
Artist: Paul Calle
A sublime and richly rendered excursion along the low road, this gouache on illustration board was used as the front cover of Volume #1 Issue #6 of Rogue For Men an early Men’s magazine that was direct competition to Playboy for Men. A Post-war pulp artwork by Lester Bentley which illustrates the interior story by Robert Bloch titled So You’d Like to Have a Harem? Nicely matted and framed and ready to hang in your harem.
Artist: Lester Bentley
A bizarre and macabre artwork by one of our favorite illustrators Mahlon Blaine titled on verso “A Fish Story.” A mermaid Medusa-like nude rendered in a pastel colored palette with an unusual size and configuration that leads us to believe this was created as a left-hand page interior illustration in a pulp magazine such as Weird Tales. When reproduced we imagine text would have been blocked around the right edge of this highly creative image.
Artist: Mahlon Blaine
Grapefruitmoongallery is proud to offer one of 3 original commissioned large circular oil paintings that adorned the restaurant walls of Larue’s a legendary Hollywood, Sunset Blvd. haunt that was owned by gangster character actor Jack LaRue. Henry Clive was a frequent patron and close friend of LaRue, these paintings were purchased directly from the restaurant about 45 years ago by the artist’s son Henry Clive O’Hara. In addition to being a prolific cover illustrator for Randolph Hearst’s American Weekly, Clive painted several large risque and attention garnering commisioned mural works for Hollywood landmarks like The Jade and The Masquers Club as well as LaRue’s.
Titled The Girl of the Golden West, the painting is named after and based on a Canco tin illustration Clive created in the 1920s. The work is framed in original round art deco silver & bronze washed wood frame and dedicated To my pal Jack; Henry Clive 1956.
Artist: Henry Clive
