Grapefruit Moon Gallery

Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration

illustration

An early 1900’s original illustration by Orson Lowell depicting a group of young boys taking in a baseball game knot-hole style. Major League Baseball of course still uses the term when larger ticket buys of youth groups are involved. I had never made a connection with the visual here, that the term stemmed from young boys peering through knot holes in the lumber used to build the outfield fences. A nostalgic Americana, baseball themed work by the gifted and prolific important golden age illustrator. Nicely matted and framed and ready to enjoy.

The Knot Hole Game

Artist: Orson Lowell

A modernist abstract mixed media painting by Virgil Finlay, who was an important prolific American pulp and science fiction illustrator. Signed and dated 1965 lower right and titled on verso #51. Executed in a colorful and abstract manner with raised translucent areas, oil paint and pen and ink. Smartly framed and ready to hang.

Abstraction #51

Artist: Virgil Finlay

Dating to approximately 1910, this large and expertly rendered gouache painting likely was used as magazine advertising art for Kodak Cameras in American weekly magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post. This bears a Forbes Litho Company of Boston ad agency verso label and bears the name of “Thompson” on the back of the illustration board, the artist is unidentified at this point. Titled “Vacation Requirement” this is great early 20th century advertising Americana treasure with a stylish Edwardian attired family cooling off at the beach.

Vacation Requirement

Artist: Unknown

An original pen and ink drawing from Nell Brinkley one of the premier female figures of the “Golden Age of American Illustration” that appeared originally in the William Randolph Hearst publication New York Journal-American newspaper during the 1920s or 1930s.

Three Stages of Life

Artist: Nell Brinkley

Pulp illustrator James Lunnon created this oil on canvas painting of Norma Shearer for the September 1935 issue of Movies Magazine. The hair and styling seem to date this to the mid 1930s-the height of Shearer’s renown as the Queen of MGM, a title bestowed upon her in 1927 when she married Irving Thalberg. Unusually […]

A Smiling Norma Shearer

Artist: James Lunnon

This original gouache painting by Harry Bennett was used as cover art for the Pyramid paperback publication of “Cry Shame” written by Gore Vidal under the pseudonym Katherine Everard. During his early career, Vidal published under several pseudonyms in order to evade the accusation that the rate of his publishing made it impossible for him to be a “serious” literary author. This is a singular opportunity to own an original piece of both illustration art and literary history, from the estate of Charles Martignette.

Cry Shame

Artist: Harry Bennett

A whimsical and highly stylized 1926 original illustration by Brooklyn New York artist Clarence “Polly” Hill. An 18th Century Style French corseted Courtesan and her attendant. This work was seemingly originally intended for a perfume or toiletry commission. Similar in style to Brunellesci, George Lepape, Eduardo Benito, George Plank and Erte whose work appeared in such periodicals as Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair and Vogue magazines.

18th Century Courtesan

Artist: Clarence Polly Hill

A stylish and decidedly art deco cover illustration for the September 9th, 1939 issue of Liberty magazine, painted by the prolific illustrator Victor Tchetchet. Depicting a Carole Lombard-esque blonde bombshell in a Diana the Huntress mythological pose. Dedicated and inscribed to the fabled Hollywood film producer Otto Preminger, as seen lower right. Painting has been handsomely […]

Diana The Huntress

Artist: Victor Tchetchet

 

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