Grapefruit Moon Gallery

Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration

exoticism

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.

The Strange Kingdom of Marine Sgt. Wirkus

Artist: James Bama
Price:  S O L D

A large gouache illustration for the January 1961 edition of Stag Magazine. A daring night time rescue depiction illustrating the interior story “The Amazing GI Who Took Three Head Hunting Brides. A Pacific Island World War II entanglement complete with topless native women and native headhunters and a lone anglo-saxonized square jawed daring G.I.

Amazing G.I. Who Took Three Head Hunting Brides

Artist: Mort Künstler
Price:  S O L D

I am proud to be able to offer this highly stylized and orientalist take on the beheading of John the Baptist, as depicted by C. Bosseron Chambers, the famed illustrator of epic and Christian scenes who was dubbed the religious Rockwell. Chambers’ “Light of the World” image was as famous and popular a print as Maxfield Parrish’s “Daybreak.” This dramatic scene, in wonderful period frame with velvet matting, is an engaging and exceptional example of Chambers’ gift of rendering religious scenes in a provocative and modern manner.

Herod & the Head of John the Baptist

Artist: Charles Bosseron Chambers
Price:  SOLD

A dark and eerily erotic oil on canvas nude with orientalist slant. The work has a verso dedication by the artist Fred Page Craft dated 1926. An exotic Moorish/East Indian Orientalist Princess depicted as a “spicy pulp” blood boiling enchantress. Craft worked as cover artist for pulp magazine Black Mask and contributed a cover for Country Gentleman in 1923. This appears to have been created as a cover for an as of yet identified spicy pulp publication. In the dedication, the artist says of the work “This little half cast might be the finest thing I shall ever paint.”

Erotic Orientalist Moor Princess

Artist: Fred Page Craft
Price:  SOLD !!

A boldly executed rare surviving art deco cover illustration by noted American artist, Frank McIntosh. McIntosh is best known for his Hawaiian-style menu art for Matson Line cruise ships. He was the main cover illustrator for Asia magazine from 1925-1934. Today these issues are in great demand because of their exceptional stylized art deco covers. A rare opportunity to buy an original McIntosh cover illustration painting.

Japanese Musicians

Artist: Frank McIntosh
Price:  Sold

A large and spectacular example of Sawyers’ illustrative mastery in specializing in ethnic-based exotic and often at times Far Eastern-inspired action/drama renderings. This image is reproduced in The Illustrator in America by Roger Reed on page 224. Pastel is nicely framed and matted and a complete edition of the Collier’s magazine in which the piece appeared, is included with the sale.

Taboo in Samoa

Artist: Martha Sawyers
Price:  Sold

 

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