Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration
A rare surviving other-wordly creation by the elusive artist Arthur Spear Prince, titled Moon Flowers. A large oil on canvas which was exhibited in 1949 at the Pasadena Art Institute. Verso has an earlier Chicago gallery label as well from The House of O’Brien . A masterful American Impressionistic work in soft diffused tones with a balanced serene color palette which is typical of the world that Spear’s inhabitants presided in.
Artist: Arthur Prince Spear
We are pleased to offer this stunning pastel from 1920 by Arthur Spear Prince. A moving and evocotive fantastical work which served as a study for the larger exhibited oil painting titled “Wings of The Morning”. Labeled on verso and marked “Fenway Studios Boston.” This is framed and matted in a beautiful American Arts & Crafts aesthetic period gesso frame. Work is dated and signed lower right.
Artist: Arthur Prince Spear
Grapefruit Moon Gallery is proud to offer the second of several original John Louis Rhead Art Nouveau/Belle Epoque-era illustrations only recently acquired from a New York estate. This large Thanksgiving Harvest goddess colorful and stylized image is titled November in pencil by the artist on the lower margin. The work is matted and framed in a large period gesso frame. This is an astonishing and rare surviving document from this American poster master. Rhead’s work appeared alongside Alphonse Mucha, Jules Cheret and Toulouse Latrec pieces in Les Maîtres de l’Affiche (Masters of Posters) folios at the turn of the last century.
Artist: Louis Rhead
Fresh from a New York estate, Grapefruitmoongallery is proud to offer the first of several original John Louis Rhead Art Nouveau/Belle Epoque-era illustrations. This large harvest goddess image was exhibited at The Twenty-First Annual Exhibition Architectural League of New York 1900. The work is matted and framed in a large period gesso frame. An astonishing and rare surviving document from this American poster master. Rhead’s work appeared alongside Alphonse Mucha, Jules Cheret and Toulouse Latrec pieces in “Les Maîtres de l’Affiche” (Masters of Posters) folios at the turn of the last century.
Artist: Louis Rhead
A delicate and dazzling example of Wladyslaw Theodor Benda’s portraiture with an exotic stylized Benda Girl. A mixed media work, on a verso addressed illustration board with a demure and soft focused masterfully conceived mysterious ingenue. This was presumably done as cover art and the back is dated 1928. Looks very much like covers done for Hearst’s International or The Shrine Magazine.
Artist: Wladyslaw Benda
A very fine arts & crafts, art nouveau aesthetic erotic nude Trumeau Mirror. The nude model is Evelyn Nesbit, the notorious Girl In The Red Velvet Swing. Manufactured by Morris & Bendien, New York and titled Fountain Of Youth. Retains its original and flat out great “bat wing,” pie-crust E.S. Curtis-esque gesso frame, with original verso paper and title on back panel as seen.
Artist: Morris & Bendien N.Y.
An unusual pen & ink drawing by famed William Randolph Hearst illustrator Nell Brinkley, creator of the Brinkley Girl. This intricately detailed 1931 illustration offers satirical social commentary on the deliterious effects the ongoing Great Depression was having on economic health around the world. In this lighter take on troubled times, an enchanting Brinkley Girl and other assorted imp-ish friends try to soften the stern face on “Old Man Depression.”
Artist: Nell Brinkley
This is an absolutely exquisite pastel in the pre-Raphaelite style which depicts a climactic scene from “The Geste of Duke Joceyln.” Originally used as the frontispiece for the light verse novel by popular English author Jeffrey Farnol, the scene features the fetching Duchess Yolande being presented at court after winning the heart of Duke Jocelyn. This is a shining example of Eric Pape’s whimsical yet classic style of illustrating, and features remarkable use of color and detailing. Pape was a well-regarded and often-exhibited artist from the turn of the 20th century until his death in 1938. His original art is highly coveted and recently his pastel work has fetched $45,000.00 at Christies. This epic pastel is one of the nicest examples of Pape’s work I have come across.
Artist: Eric Pape
An unusual pen & ink drawing by pre-eminent William Randolph Hearst illustrator Nell Brinkley. This intricately detailed 1932 illustration offers satirical social commentary on the deliterious effects the ongoing Great Depression was having on economic health around the world. In this lighter take on troubled times, three Brinkley Girls are depicted nursing the ailing globe back to health.
Artist: Nell Brinkley
An exceedingly scarce original oil on canvas by noted Illinois early calendar artist F.R. Harper. Harper had a long and successful career in American Illustration. He was particularily adept at portraying exotic-themed Anglo Saxon-ized Indian Maidens and his rare paintings of beautiful women are some of the most poignant in terms of mood and technique from the early art nouveau influenced pre art deco years of glamour art. This is nicely framed and has been oversprayed with some type of varnish or shellac at some point and is priced accordingly.
Artist: F. R. Harper
