Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration
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
A delightful original pastel by Charles Sheldon of a lavishly-attired Gloria Swanson posed in the style of a Follies Showgirl, bathed in red light. Double matted and framed in a period art deco gesso wood painted frame.
Artist: Charles Sheldon
An exceptional pastel rendering of a Gloria Swanson in blue glamorous Follies showgirl manner by Charles Sheldon. Pastel is double matted and framed in a museum quality carved wood frame.
Artist: Charles Sheldon
Grapefruit Moon Gallery is happy to offer an original gouache illustration likely used as the final preliminary study for the cover of the May 17th, 1930 Edition of Judge Magazine. Verso reads “Cover for Judge, Joseph Morgan.” Work is in a John Held Jr. jazz age, modernist style with a flapper girl enduring the attention of an over zealous Soda Fountain attendant. The smaller sight size leads us to believe this is not the completed cover, but it is the most fun you can have in the world of Illustration art for $850.00.
Artist: Joseph Morgan
A humorous moment in the midst of the Great Depression is the subject of this Liberty Magazine (November 21, 1931) original cover painting by Leslie Thrasher. Titled “Second From The Right” the cover chronicles the continuing story of “Sandy and Lil”, who frequented the cover of Liberty magazine in scenes from their typically 1920s courtship, wedding and early married life. This artwork (as explained in short interior story) finds the couple’a finances wiped out in the recent stock market crash. A neighbor (a rich lawless bootlegger!) turns up with a pair of complimentary tickets to The Follies and Sandy finds a particular showgirl much to his liking “second to the right.”
Artist: Leslie Thrasher
A tense and action packed gunfight scene featuring a flapper era cowgirl is presented in this large and rare surviving Domingo F. Periconi oil painting. This artwork was commissioned by Dell publications as cover art for the June 1938 edition of Ace High Magazine, a western pulp. Work has printer’s verso notations and is initialed lower left and really is a defining example of 1930s pulp fiction.
Artist: Domingo Periconi
A large and deftly rendered interior illustration painting by beloved American Illustrator James Montgomery Flagg. Created for a 1920s edition of Hearst’s Magazine. A young jazz age couple who find themselves with 3 young children are pondering their sleep deprived chaotic extistence with “Twisted Hearts”. Flagg was a wildly popular prolific illustrator who is best known for creating The Uncle Sam characterization that has become an iconic American part of history. Work is nicely matted and framed.
Artist: James Montgomery Flagg
This jazz age artwork from the late fall of 1924 smartly blends Halloween season & boxing as a metaphor for the presidential election of that November. In this vibrant gouache, used as a cover for “The Brooklyn Eagle Sunday Magazine,” an Uncle Sam-inspired ring girl attempts to keep the peace between the two parties. This is a spirited roaring 20s time capsule.
Artist: Charles Verschuuren
 |
A large oil on canvas of a pensive young nude by noted American illustrator and artist Guy Hoff. Hoff was a prolific illustrator whose paintings illustrated covers of The Saturday Evening Post, Liberty, Judge and The American Magazine.
Artist: Guy Hoff
A delightful pastel by Pearl L. Hill. This dates from the 1920’s and was presumably used as a cover for a period woman’s magazine (likely Modern Priscilla). A demure yet playfully-posed, modernist, roaring 20s flapper girl with short bobbed hair strikes a winning pose in this large, nicely matted and framed illustration. Hill created seven cover paintings in the early 1920’s for the prestigious “Saturday Evening Post.” Her illustrations modernized the American woman in glamorous art deco fashion.
Artist: Pearl Hill
