Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration
A sassy and sexy bathing beauty pin-up painting by William Medcalf, a first tier pin-up artist and long-time illustrator for the Brown & Bigelow Calendar Company of Saint Paul, Minnesota. This preliminary work exhibits all of the illustrator’s abundant artistry and personality, and fully captures the allure of his finalized published calendar paintings.The painting is signed lower right […]
Artist: William Medcalf
The moment when Rita Hayworth pops onscreen for the first time in Gilda ranks among the most iconic film introductions of the 20th century. Her gravity defying hair flip and blinding smile seemed to epitomize mischievous flirtation, and through the extensive publicity campaign surrounding the film and a series of now legendary glamour photos by Robert […]
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.
Artist: Victor Tchetchet
A fresh to the market 1950s original pin-up oil painting that is attributed to Ben-Hur Baz, with custom advertising for Krome-Oil Piston Rings. A busty blonde bombshell ala Marilyn Monroe is shown seductively posed in a new and very revealing bikini that highlights the tan lines left from her past, more modest swimwear. A recent gallery acquisition from […]
Artist: Ben-Hur Baz
This patriotic, morale boosting, WWII-era red, white and blue cover gouache illustration painting was the cover for the May, 2, 1942 edition of Liberty Magazine. The image depicts a curvy pin-up girl christening a ship as the nattily attired distinguished guests of the ceremony struggle to keep their eyes on the matter at hand. In a humorous nod […]
Artist: Stephen Ronay
Nell Brinkley was known for her ability to personify the 1920s move towards modernity and to interpret Victorian tradition through the eyes of her flapper heroine, The Brinkley Girl. In this inspired and tremendously fun pen and ink illustration, a Brinkley bride-to-be reminisces about her carefree maiden days of wanderlust and freedom. Signed and dated in […]
Artist: Nell Brinkley
A large, sultry original published pin-up calendar painting by the prolific and important American artist Fritz Willis. Willis was the last true star pin-up artist of the old guard, when illustrative pin-up reigned supreme in Men’s magazines and advertising calendars. The artist worked during the very tail end of the genre’s popularity. Showcasing a near-nude sex […]
Artist: Fritz Willis
A tremendous example of a Brown & Bigelow published pin-up painting by Ted Withers used in a Roman themed sketchbook calendar titled; Bella Roma – In The Artist’s Sketchbook. This painting, which appeared as the October 1960 calendar page, features Pax, the Roman goddess of peace and prosperity (and counterpart to the Greek goddess Eirene) […]
Artist: Ted Withers
A rare surviving 1940s calendar published pin-up oil painting by the prolific Chicago area female illustrator Ruth Deckard, which appeared with the title of Danger. Making a classic “ooh” face, a luscious blonde sits on a sawhorse pulling a nail from her shoe at a construction site, a classic situational pin-up leg show scene. The […]
Artist: Ruth Deckard
A large preliminary rendering by Gil Elvgren of a work completed for Brown & Bigelow in 1948 with the title – “Do You Think I “No” Too Much ?” This image also appeared with the title “My Datebook’s Showing Signs Of Age”. This comes from a collection of Elvgren preliminary graphite drawings we acquired which […]
Artist: Gil Elvgren
