Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration
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An original 1946 commissioned oil on canvas by the female American Illustrator and occasional pin-up artist E.B. Segner. Created for the Louis F. Dow Calendar Company, (the Saint Paul Minnesota rival and competitor of Brown & Bigelow) whose roster of artists included Billy Devorss, Gil Elvgren, Henry Clive and Jules Erbit. Work is nicely framed in a newer gallery frame on original pine stretchers with notations from the Calendar Company.
Artist: E. B. Segner
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.
Artist: Earl Moran
A sassy and colorful glamour girl pastel rendering by Earl Moran, created for the Brown & Bigelow Calendar Company in the early 1950s. Caption reads “Whenever I dance with you alone, before I know it The evening’s flown.” Work is beautifully matted and framed and in a fine state of preservation, a 1954 Brown & Bigelow Calendar of image is included in sale.
Artist: Earl Moran
A charming pastel by Jules Erbit, the versatile prolific American illustrator who worked for all of the major calendar companies during his long career. Exclusively a pastel artist, Erbit created a few nudes for the Thomas D. Murphy Calendar Company but his signature genre featured the Erbit girl, a generally wholesome, gregarious and approachable beauty. This artwork is a wonderful example of his Good Girl Art style. A published tear sheet of calendar is included in sale.
Artist: Jules Erbit
A large and early bathing beauty themed pin-up illustration in pastel by K.O. Munson, the gifted and prolific illustrator who worked many years for The Brown & Bigelow Calendar Company. This is an early work note the stylized signature and 1940’s glamour girl pose. Work is in fine condition and properly lined behind glass in an attractive period wide profile gold gesso frame.
Artist: K. O. Munson
An alternate cover for the October 1957 Issue of Imagination Science Fiction, by Lloyd Rognan, illustrating the interior story “You Can’t Buy Eternity” by Dwight V. Swain. This oil on canvas board original illustration differs from the published cover (which was also painted by Rognan) in several respects, notable the blond in peril on the published cover is envisioned in this rendering as a brunette. Which lends credence to the belief that a pulp cover artists life was not easy and was often subject to publishers whims and guidance. A published complete copy of the magazine is included in the sale.
Artist: Lloyd Rognan
A well rendered humorous gouache calendar painting for the Brown & Bigelow Calendar by prolific and well listed staff artist Bill Layne. This was used as an advertising calendar and is a published work. A precise depiction of what what Layne does best. Work is beautifully matted and framed in a maple gallery frame and ready to display.
Artist: Bill Layne
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A well rendered humorous gouache calendar painting for the Brown & Bigelow Calendar by prolific and well listed staff artist Bill Layne. This was used in their 1957 Calendar line and is a precise depiction of what what Layne does best. Work is beautifully matted and framed in a maple gallery frame and ready to display.
Artist: Bill Layne
From the double entendre school of classic pin-up art, Grapefruit Moon Gallery is proud to offer this original oil on canvas by Al Buell for The Osborne Calendar Company. Work is titled “Come and Get It”, and is pictured in “The Great American Pin-up” on page 107 color plate #209. This spirited surviving commissioned work is beautifully matted and framed and ready to hang. Al Buell was a prolific pin-up artist who was trained by Haddon Sundblom, and worked in the luminous commercial style of Sundblom and Gil Elvgren. He worked for numerous calendar companies throughout his career and contributed pin-ups for Esquire Magazine, additionally the artist created numerous Calendar Girls for the Coca-Cola company during the 1940’s – 50s.
Artist: Al Buell
Perhaps the finest nude pin-up ever created, this Earl Steffa Moran pastel is a fresh midwest estate find. This luminous masterwork dates from Moran’s “Light & Shadow” period. Marketed under the title “Tomorrow’s Star,” the model was reported to be Jean Harlow. Six early nudes by Moran were packaged as a large format high end print folio which Brown & Bigelow gave as a premium gift to its most lucrative business accounts under the title “Running into Six Figures.” Many collectors site the folio as the high water mark of pin-up art.
Artist: Earl Moran
