Grapefruit Moon Gallery

Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration

martini

The fourth of ten 1939 mural designs by Mahlon Blaine, which were intended to become murals for the studio or showroom of noted New York City interior designer Paul MacAlister. In “The Toast of Manhattan” a nude goddess with serpents for hair pours a martini for a tuxedo clad robot as the adjoining stone masonry watches on disapprovingly. Even the tenements have eyes in this surrealist and inspired visionary artwork. Marked on verso design #4, this comes beautifully matted and framed from the estate of Paul MacAlister.

The Toast of Manhattan

Artist: Mahlon Blaine

A captivating, sexy, toasting blonde pastel by noted illustrator and occasional pin-up artist Victor Tchetchet. This pin-up is unusual as it mimics the Coles Phillip’s “Fadeaway Girls” technique where the subject fades into the background. Tchetchet is best known for his pin-up, The Favorite Model, and countless movie magazine covers throughout the 1930’s. I have never come across the published version of this pastel, presumably it was done as a pin-up calendar illustration. Beautifully double matted in a $700 gallery frame.

The Toast Of The Town

Artist: Victor Tchetchet

The only known original poster art work from Henry Clive’s tenure as illustrator for Paramount Films. An original oil on illustration board for George Hobart’s 1921 film Experience starring Helen Ray. The charactors in this piece were all given allegorical names with stars including Richard Barthelmess as “Youth”, and depicted in this illustration is Helen Ray as “Intoxication”. This artwork includes a $900 custom made gold gesso gallery frame and all archival material shown.

Intoxication

Artist: Henry Clive

 

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