Grapefruit Moon Gallery

Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration

boudoir

This is an intriguing topical French magazine illustration depicting a decadent French woman enjoying five different forms of illumination as she goes through various stages of undress. Providing commentary on the onset of modernity in fin-de-siècle France through the metaphor illustrated mistress of the house who is seen with a broadening smile and increasingly confident demeanor as she lives with the at the time shockingly new conveniences, this is a bold and striking illustration by the controversial French cartoonist Gil Baer.

Fin De Siecle, Illuminated

Artist: Gil Baer
Price:  $950.00

An intoxicating and erotic reclining nude by the well-listed artist Harold Mott-Smith. Born in Hawaii, Harold Mott-Smith was a painter who lived in Paris from 1894-1906. He studied at the Academie Julian with Jean Paul Laurens, and exhibited in 1894 with the Boston Art Club as well as Paris Salon. After returning to New York, Mott-Smith worked for GE, illustrating calendars and painting portraits of Thomas Edison. This captivating oil on canvas dates from his early Hawaiian career and showcases his sensuous style.

Hawaiian Art Deco Nude

Artist: Harold Mott-Smith
Price:  $7,500.00

A radiant and lushly executed fine art nude oil painting by the well listed female Hungarian artist Maria Szantho, who had a long and decorated career both overseas in Europe and here in the United States. Szantho created three oil paintings depicting her homeland of Hungary for the 1939 World's Fair in New York City. This is among the prettiest examples of her nude portraiture we have seen. Painting is housed in a hand carved basswood gold leafed museum quality frame.

A Reclining Nude

Artist: Maria Szantho
Price:  $13,500.00

Legendary American pin-up illustrator Earl Moran was one of the first to discover a muse in the iconic Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe. During the late 1940s Monroe famously worked as a pin-up model for the Blue Book agency, posing under her real name of Norma Jeane Dougherty. After Moran transitioned away from the hectic life of a calendar artist to focus on his fine art painting, he revisited Marilyn, who was by then a platinum blonde Hollywood bombshell, through an arrangement with The Aaron Brothers Galleries, Laguna Beach CA.

Marilyn Monroe in the Nude

Artist: Earl Moran
Price:  S O L D

A very large and rare surviving pastel pin-up artwork from the late 1930s by the important female illustrator Irene Patten. Along with her sister Laurette, Irene Patten created numerous pin-up for the leading American calendar companies featuring tantalizing modernist heart-breakers in a variety of risque poses. Her original works are quite scarce today this is a very large example that comes elaborately framed and lined behind glass.

The Party Line

Artist: Irene Patten
Price:  Sold

A hauntingly beautiful, erotically charged, reclining nude pastel by Rolf Armstrong from his very best period. This nude was never published and dates from right around 1930; a seductive light and shadow meditation that finds Armstrong contemplating the "temptation of allure" and "the allure of temptation" in this jazz-age, art deco erotic rendering of a veiled showgirl finding the light.

The Veiled Nude

Artist: Rolf Armstrong
Price:  S O L D

A large, inspired, new to the market oil on canvas by Pal Fried; a smoldering reclining nude in a deeply erotic 1940s moment. Retains original ornate carved wood frame. The canvas is untouched and stamped on the verso and titled in the artist's hand "Reclining Nude". A fine well preserved luminous example of what this prolific European painter's signature work.

Reclining Nude

Artist: Pal Fried
Price:  S O L D

Grapefruit Moon Gallery is delighted to offer a fresh (in all respects!) original oil on canvas pin-up painting by Vaughan Bass for The Louis F. Dow Calendar Company. A young strawberry-blonde nude bombshell with a curling iron readying herself for a night out on the town. A never on the market before fabulous estate find by this under valued and very talented and prolific calendar artist. Work is on original pine stretchers and in a very fine state of conservation, in all regards "The Great American Pin-up".

An Iron in the Fire

Artist: Vaughan Bass
Price:  S O L D

A dazzling and erotic oil on canvas by Earl Moran of the platinum bombshell Marilyn Monroe in the nude. Dated 1960 on verso stretcher bar, and marked "Aaron Brothers #646"on back of canvas. During the 1940's a radiant Norma Jean was Earl Moran's favorite pin-up model and a number of Brown & Bigelow Calendar works were commissioned featuring the then unknown red headed pin-up model. Earl Moran left the hectic schedule and deadlines of a calendar illustrator in the late 1950's and moved to California and started working exclusively in oils and created a series of boudoir posed erotically charged nude works that sold to patrons of the arts through an arrangement with The Aaron Brothers Galleries.

Marilyn Monroe in the Nude

Artist: Earl Moran
Price:  S O L D

A wonderfully conceived and deftly executed art deco original risque artwork from Rolf Armstrong's short tenure in Hollywood. This large pastel dates to 1932 and is a rare nude by the Father of American pin up. This transcendent work was unearthed in the late 1990s in the estate of a one of Armstrong's former models. This important piece was exhibited at a solo show of the artist's work in 1999 at the Bruce R. Lewin Gallery in New York City. A program from the exhibition featuring "The Blue Nude" is included with sale.

The Blue Nude

Artist: Rolf Armstrong
Price:  S O L D

 

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