Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration
The story behind this original art deco pin up pastel by Rolf Armstrong provides a window into the artist's biography and the inner workings of the illustration business during the Great Depression. The work originally appeared as a Brown & Bigelow calendar with the title You'd Be Surprised. Like several other of Armstrong's surviving pastel […]
Artist: Rolf Armstrong
Price: $18,500.00
This rare, original mixed medium painting by Henry Clive graced the cover of the February 15, 1942 edition of William Randolph Hearst's The American Weekly. Clive often played with serialized themes in his work for the magazine, and this Spanish Mission inspired image was from a series entitled "Maid In America." The image on the […]
Artist: Henry Clive
Price: $13,500.00
Vintage 1930s Art Deco Pin Up Painting This original oil on canvas painting dates to the mid 1930s and features a Hollywood Regency styled image inspired by Ginger Rogers in black satin. The painting is unsigned and appears to be a published pin-up calendar illustration. Our hunch is that the artist is Edward D'Ancona, but […]
Artist: American Artist
Price: $3,500.00
This rare original painting by Henry Clive graced the cover of the October 13, 1946 edition of William Randolph Hearst's The American Weekly. Clive often played with serialized themes in his work for the magazine, and this Egyptian inspired image was from a series entitled "Pin-up Girls of History." Pictured as Cleopatra is the lovely Hollywood film star Dorothy Lamour, whose impossibly good looks and exotic features draw comparison to the legendary queen of the Nile, though the actress never portrayed her in film.
Artist: Henry Clive
Price: SOLD
James Montgomery Flagg's watercolor sketches were an endless source of amusement and cheer to his friends and colleagues. Here, the artist works to cheer up his friend Cecil Humpheys after the poor reviews of the 1942 revival of J.M. Barrie's play A Kiss for Cinderella in which he starred alongside Louise Rainer. Flagg depicts laughably […]
Artist: James Montgomery Flagg
Price: $1,350.00
An original signed painting by the prolific illustrator Henry Clive. This was likely commissioned for the cover of The American Weekly, a William Randolph Hearst publication. Clive spent three decades creating several hundred covers for this weekly publication, although the original paintings rarely come on the market. Pictured is pin-up model and Paramount Film Star Mona Freeman who made a nice career for herself typically cast as the perky good girl supporting actress.
Artist: Henry Clive
Price: $7,500.00
We are pleased to have this original pastel by the talented and prolific pin-up artist and illustrator R. Wilson Hammell. This Spanish attired, flapper girl envisioning of Joan Crawford was created either as a calendar art print for The Joseph Hoover Calendar Company or an early talkie movie era Magazine Cover. Crawford was an eager publicity hound in the early 1930's filling the void created by the elusive Garbo, who refused any publicity during the era of Crawford's ascendancy to stardom.
Artist: R. Wilson Hammell
Price: $4,500.00
This stylized, fashionable pastel portrait of Hollywood film legend Norma Shearer by the prolific American illustrator Charles Sheldon shows off the sophistication the actress became known for in her pre-code appearances in films like The Divorcee. Sheldon was a leading illustrator of 1920s - 1930s Hollywood royalty, responsible for the covers which graced many of the film magazine titles […]
Artist: Charles Sheldon
Price: $2,500.00
This 1926 pastel by Cardwell Higgens was created for an exhibitor's book produced by Paramount Pictures to promote their silent film star Florence Vidor.
Artist: Cardwell Higgins
Price: $1,500.00
A darling and very Art Deco in aesthetic portrait of Mary Brian, the silent and early talkie era Hollywood film star. We do not have the specific usage of this oil on masonite painting but it was likely created as a cover for a late 1920s Hollywood Movie Magazine by the artist, who worked prolifically for a number of titles during the period. The china doll imagery was one which Clive favored, as it plays on the coquettish doll like charms of the flappers of the period. The painting is signed lower right and handsomely framed in a period wide profile antique frame behind glass.
Artist: Henry Clive
Price: $6,500.00
