Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration
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 glamourous and serene large rendering of long reigning screen star siren Loretta Young in pastel done for a cover of Romantic Story Magazine by noted Brown & Bigelow pin-up artist and prolific cover illustrator Zoe Mozert. Mozert executed over 400 covers for such titles as Screen Book, True Romance, True Confessions and Randolph Hearst’s American Weekly. Titled on verso Letters and in fine print the letter is addressed to Louis B. Meyer Paramount film head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Artist: Zoe Mozert
An original pastel by noted cover illustrator Marland Stone a striking pastel portrait of the fetching and talented Silent Movie and early talkie star Norma Shearer.This appeared as a cover for Screenland Magazine under the title Spotlight Cover of Norma Shearer.
Artist: Marland Stone
This is the second of two provocative, cheeky, and sexy large nude original pin-ups we are offering by the classic American illustrator Ren Wicks from his Famous And Infamous Ladies Of The Old West, commissioned by Harolds Club Casino, in Reno Nevada. Wicks, a popular pin-up artist who was frequently commissioned to create advertising art for aviation and wartime industries, has been called the master of “wings and women.” This large and lovely gouache on illustration board features the infamous Lola Montez, creator of the Tarantula Dance, and the phrase “whatever Lola wants Lola gets.”
Artist: Ren Wicks
An early example of a fine art glamour painting, depicting “Birute”, a 14th century Lithuanian princess. Original commissioned artwork for calendar reproduction by Hoover and Sons. This oil on canvas is reproduced in The Great American Pin-Up (Martignetti and Meisel) on page 25, fig #15. Along with Angelo Asti, Whitroy was a prolific Art Nouveau era Victorian glamour artist.
Artist: Hy Whitroy
During the 1920’s in America, all eyes were seemingly on the discovery and subsequent opening of King Tutankhamun’s tomb. For a brief period the decorative arts reflected this fascination with all things Egyptian. This influence is today referred to as Art Deco Egyptian. Here is a magnificent example of this popular culture obsession as painted by renouned illustrator Rudolph Schabelitz depicting the presentation of a pectoral and necklace to Princess Sat of Egypt 1800 B.C.
Artist: R. F. Schabelitz
The finest surviving Henry Clive cover illustration from his 20+ years creating for The American Weekly. This painting was from a series done in 1934 titled, Darlings of the Poets. In this series, Clive illustrated the inspirations for leading poets and writers. This particular oil on canvas was the inspiration behind The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. It is matted to museum quality and framed in an amazing ornate art deco silver gesso frame. Seven American Weekly issues with the complete run of the Darlings of the Poets series are included.
Artist: Henry Clive
An original stylized art deco illustration from the 1930’s for a perfume company . A fresh estate find artist, signed lower right and labeled on verso with company label as seen.
Artist: Harry Bailey
