Grapefruit Moon Gallery

Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration

maiden

A large and monumental allegorical oil on canvas by Charles Allan Winter featuring a dying Roman warrior being attended to by a firey haired maiden. Work is signed by the artist “Chas. Winter 1896 Paris” lower right, an early offering from this highly regarded vanguard artist. This was presumably created while Winter was studying at the Julianne Academie of Paris, this has a wonderful Pre-Raphaelite dramatic and impacting style. The grand scale of the painting adds to its evocative epic charm.

A Roman Tragedy

Artist: Charles Winter
Price:  $14,500.00

An exceedingly scarce original mixed media work by L. Goddard used as a published calendar by The American Art Works Calendar Company, Coshocton Ohio in 1931 as Song of the Nile. “L. Goddard” was the pseudonym for a pair of enterprising artists L.G. Woolfenden, a successful Detroit area commercial photographer, and Rudolphe/ Rudolph Ingerle a Vienna born fine art landscape artist who lived and exhibited at museums and galleries in Chicago after the turn of the last century. Their collaborative efforts resulted in some of the finest and most spectacular images in the Calendar Art genre. The pair was known for fantasy-laden Depression-era escapist themes: Indian Maidens, Gypsies, Salomes, Art Deco Egyptian Beauties and Grecian Goddesses posed in vivid and evocotive Maxfield Parrish -esque dreamscapes.

Song of the Nile

Artist: L. Goddard
Price:  SOLD

A whimsical art deco original gouache painting titled “La Coquette” by Alberto Vargas. An early work by the Peruvian born pin-up legend exploring the Commedia dell’arte revival that took hold around 1915, the cast of characters in this boldly colored and delightful Edwardian scene features the requisite maiden courted by a Harlequin with slapstick at his side as her guardian looks on in horror. Vargas brings a unique spin to this popular genre and his artistic mastery is apparent even at this early date. This was acquired by Charles Martignette in 1989 from the Vargas estate – the painting is accompanied by a series of Kodak color photographs (dated June 1989) taken by Martignette of this painting, also included are several color photographs of the artist and Martignette taken shortly before Vargas’ death in 1982.

La Coquette

Artist: Alberto Vargas
Price:  $11,250.00

A large original pen & ink illustration by the important Belle Epoque era poster and book illustrator Louis Rhead. This likely was done for Harper’s or Century Magazine. A great large rendering in the Art Nouveau manner and a rare surviving original illustration work by the great New York based prolific and gifted illustrator and artist.

Art Nouveau Maiden in February

Artist: Louis Rhead
Price:  SOLD

A sophisticated, topical Orson Lowell pen & ink drawing featuring a Japanese soldier bowing before a mythically inspired goddess of death (named by Lowell Mortise, a play on the latin word for death) with the caption So Sorry – have made mistake. The age of this piece, which dates to the first years of the 20th century, makes this by all accounts a commentary on the massive casualties ensued during the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-1905, a war Japan won, but at a human price much too high.

The Spoils of War

Artist: Orson Lowell
Price:  $1,462.50

A lyrical American impressionist oil painting by Charles Allan Winter, one of our favorite 20th century fine artists and illustrators. This is a large and important work with two demure Art Nouveau maidens in a lush and colorful stylized fantasy landscape. Verso retains original exhibition card and title of “Music”. Housed in a wide profile hand carved Paul Carter Goodnow American Arts & Crafts frame, a defining example from the Charles Martignette collection.

Music

Artist: Charles Winter
Price:  $15,000.00

A remarkable, large, signed and dated 1929 oil painting by one of the leading “cabin art” calendar artists Frank Stick. Known best for his genre illustrations for the Thomas D. Murphy Calendar Company, Stick also worked for many early 20th century magazine titles including Collier’s, Sports Afield and The Saturday Evening Post creating rugged outdoorsman scenes culled from his own experiences. This is a unique offering by the artist, featuring a pretty Pre-Raphaelite Viking mother and her newborn child emerging from a long winter, a cherished example from the Charles Martignette collection.

A Viking Mother

Artist: Frank Stick
Price:  SOLD

A stunning early 1900’s vintage James Arthur Studios, L. Goddard style, mixed media illustration. This work was used as a calendar for the American Art Works Calendar Company; Coshocton Ohio. Verso tag seems to read Drickley Studios and is titled Girl With Basket of Flowers. A lovely Art Nouveau, Belle Epoque maiden who is delightful and colorful and rendered with great detail and skill. A rare surviving original calendar-used illustration from the early era of glamour art.

Girl with Basket of Flowers

Artist: Unidentified
Price:  $1,950.00

A large oil on illustration board painting by E.F. Ward commissioned for an interior story titled “Drumheads and Dairy Maids” by Helen Topping Miller for the November 1918 edition of A Woman’s Home Companion. Work is beautifully displayed in oval matted, wide profile period antique frame behind glass.

Drumheads and Dairy Maids

Artist: E. F. Ward
Price:  Sold

From the estate of legendary Ziegfeld Follies photographer Alfred Cheney Johnston comes this portrait of Follies showgirl Naomi Johnston. Noted illustrator J. Knowles Hare was commissioned by impresario Flo Ziegfeld to create pastel illustrations of Ziegfeld’s glorified American girls as they were captured by photographer A.C. Johnston, for a variety of display and publicity uses. The finished pastel […]

Naomi Johnson Ziegfeld Follies Portrait

Artist: J. Knowles Hare
Price:  Sold

 

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