Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration
A ravishing and deeply erotic nude oil on canvas painting by Pal Fried. Perhaps the most beautiful and inspired Fried work we have seen. Beautifully framed and in a fine state of preservation, a monumental example by this noted and prolific artist and illustrator.
Artist: Pal Fried
A tense and clever, menace-themed, rare surviving cover painting for the January 1939 issue of Double Action Detective.. A Science Fiction/Spicy Pulp epic entanglement illustrating George Alden Edson’s story, The Midnight Murderer. This original oil-on-canvas painting is unsigned, we are of the strong belief that it was done Rudolph Zirm. A xeroxed color print of the pulp magazine cover proof is included in the sale.
Artist: Rudolph Zirm (attributed)
A rare surviving spicy pulp cover painting by Rudolph Zirm. This menace themed oil on canvas was published April 1939 as the cover for Undercover Detective, illustrating the interior story “The Devil’s Pigeons”. A facsimile reissue edition of the pulp magazine featuring Zirm’s cover is included with sale.
Artist: Rudolph Zirm
This Raphael Kirchner Ziegfeld Follies pastel is a newly unearthed piece of New York City theater history, and a once in a generation find. Part of a suite of five illustrations which feature the erotic and luminous showgirls who starred in the legendary theater revue Ziegfeld Follies and made the name synonymous with images of the most beautiful, brazen and sensuous women in early 20th century New York. This portrait of Vivienne Segal hung in the lobby of the historic Century Theater until it shut its doors in 1936.
Artist: Raphael Kirchner
A tremendous original late 1920s pen and ink drawing by Cardwell Higgins titled “A Delightful Page in the Record of My Existence”. The artist created five of these noir illustrative costumed art deco pen & ink drawings between the years of 1927 – 1929 that were later marketed as limited edition art prints under the guidance of Charles Martignette in 1979. This is assuredly the finest from this series of Aubrey Beardsley / Harry Clarke inspired fantasy scenes that the young Higgins executed. From the Estate of Charles Martignette, who championed the efforts of Cardwell Higgins and organized a one man show for the artist in 1983 shortly after the artist’s death in Hollywood Florida.
Artist: Cardwell Higgins
Titled at turns “Flower Girl” and “Message of Love,” this original oil on canvas by Edward D’Ancona was created for the John Frederick Calendar Company. Featuring an elegant and wholesome depiction of the good girl glamour art ideal, this marks a winsome departure by the prolific and infamous creator of the panties dropping, embarrassment style of cheesecake that signaled the wane of the era of “The Great American Pin-up.”
Artist: Edward D'Ancona
A delightful, vibrant watercolor work by Frances Tipton Hunter commissioned either for calendar use or as a cover for an American mainstream magazine. A wholesome Americana depiction titled “For A Good Boy,” this scene typifies the style Hunter was known for. A group of children marvel at the center boys new bicycle presented him on his birthday the card reads “For a Good Boy…” Piece is nicely matted and framed, signed lower right and addressed on the verso in the artist’s hand with her Philadelphia Pa. address.
Artist: Francis Tipton Hunter
A rare original Brown and Bigelow-commisioned pin-up painting for their prestigious Sylvania Products account. Each year one of the calendar company’s star artists would create a wholesome yet alluring “Miss Sylvania” exclusively for Sylvania’s advertising campaign. This luminous original oilon canvas dates to the early 1950s and is featured on page 228 plate #545 in the collector’s book Gil Elvgren All His Glamorous American Pin-ups. Grapefruit Moon Gallery sold this work previously (in March of 2008) and are delighted to be able to offer it again on consignment for a collector who is making wall space for new acquisitions.
Artist: Gil Elvgren
A fresh to the market lovely portrait painting by Carle J. Blenner in its original to the work handsome American Arts & Crafts ornate gesso frame. This is a fine and untouched example of the artist’s preferred subject matter; female portraiture. This large oil painting finds a dazzling raven haired maiden admiring her beauty in a hand compact. Work retains its original Beard Art Gallery Minneapolis verso exhibit label and the frame is adorned with a period plaque with the artist’s name.
Artist: Carle Blenner
A New Year’s themed cover painting by Leslie Thrasher for the January 9, 1932 edition of Liberty Magazine. The painting finds the serialized couple “Sandy and Lil” renewing their wedding vows in the midst of the Great Depression with a cherubic baby New Year with quill pen acting as the notary clerk. Image follows the tradition of January New Years Babies covers painted by Norman Rockwell and J. C. Lyendecker in The Saturday Evening Post.
Artist: Leslie Thrasher
