hollywood

This exceptionally large oil on canvas mural by Henry Clive was created for the long gone legendary Hollywood Boulevard haunt “The Jade Lounge.” Titled “The Buddha-Pest,” the image acted as a logo for the bar, with matchbooks and post cards created with its likeness to attract tourists. The Jade Lounge became a destination and this monumental painting remained a focal point of the restaurant for decades. Henry Clive executed several murals for Hollywood nightclubs, and for The Masquers Club, Hollywood’s oldest theatrical club.

A Buddha-Pest

Artist: Henry Clive

A wonderful original oil on canvas used as a poster design for the 1937 Warner Bros. Western film starring Dick Foran titled Prairie Thunder. Illustrated in this work are Albert J. Smith, Janet Shaw and Jim Corey. Ratterman was a gifted illustrator whose work appeared in many of the major “slick magazines” as advertisements and/or covers.

Prairie Thunder

Artist: W. G. Ratterman

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

A large and expertly rendered pastel on illustration board by Hungarian artist Pal Fried. Fried, who commonly worked in oils, was equally adept with pastels and this is a fine offering revisiting one of his favorite themes; a young ballerina in anticipation of her performance. Work is nicely matted and framed and in an excellent state of preservation.

Preparing For The Ballet

Artist: Pal Fried

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

Grapefruitmoongallery is proud to offer one of 3 original commissioned large circular oil paintings that adorned the restaurant walls of Larue’s a legendary Hollywood, Sunset Blvd. haunt that was owned by gangster character actor Jack LaRue. Henry Clive was a frequent patron and close friend of LaRue, these paintings were purchased directly from the restaurant about 45 years ago by the artist’s son Henry Clive O’Hara. In addition to being a prolific cover illustrator for Randolph Hearst’s American Weekly, Clive painted several large risque and attention garnering commisioned mural works for Hollywood landmarks like The Jade and The Masquers Club as well as LaRue’s.

Titled The Girl of the Golden West, the painting is named after and based on a Canco tin illustration Clive created in the 1920s. The work is framed in original round art deco silver & bronze washed wood frame and dedicated To my pal Jack; Henry Clive 1956.

Girl of the Golden West

Artist: Henry Clive

A luminous and glowing glamour girl painting by the well listed prolific pin-up illustrator and Hollywood Portrait artist Edward Runci. This fine oil-on-streched-canvas features a Haddon Sundblom/Gil Elvgren color palette and painterly technique. A formally posed beauty queen in purple gloves and fur with an orchid and a inviting smile awaits you. Condition, like the work, is flawless.

Glamour Girl With Orchid

Artist: Edward Runci

Perhaps the finest Rolf Armstrong original pastel ever offered for sale and one of only a hand full of nudes done by this iconic American illustrator. This original pastel was one of three nudes Armstrong did in the 1930’s. It was marketed as a calendar print titled, “Rosalie” as well as “Hollywood Venus”. This large, reclining nude was clearly a personal favorite of Armstrong’s. It hung on his studio walls throughout the 1940’s and 1950’s. This is a large and monumental art deco masterwork by the Father of the American Pin-Up. With an expensive gallery frame, this pastel is in pristine condition with unfaded vibrant colors.

The Hollywood Venus

Artist: Rolf Armstrong

A delicately rendered and stylized watercolor on illustration board by the well listed commercial illustrator Alex Luders. This is a remarkable work of an art deco era harem girl enchantress entranced in a sexy exotic veiled scarf dance. The artist Alex Luders did much commercial Hollywood advertising poster art for Fox Films including Shirley Temple and Jack Holt’s starring turn in the 1935 feature film The Littlest Rebel. This is presumed to also be a commissioned work for an as of yet undetermined art deco era movie campaign.

A Veiled Harem Dancer

Artist: Alex Luders

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.

Letters

Artist: Zoe Mozert

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