Rastus

A whimsical oil on canvas by long time Cream of Wheat illustrator Edward Vincent Brewer created for their 1918 advertising. In “Opening The Case” Brewer’s own children are seen cheerfully posed around the chef as he opens a new case of Cream of Wheat. This image is a timeless and rich piece of Americana from the archives of the Cream of Wheat advertising vaults, and has never been publicly offered for sale. By far one of the most idyllic and tender artworks in the collection. Recently cleaned, this new to the market artwork is in pristine archived condition.

Opening The Case

Artist: Edward Brewer
Price: SOLD

Grapefruit Moon Gallery is delighted to offer The World’s Fare, a rare surviving archived Cream of Wheat original oil painting. This 1923 artwork was reproduced as a full page advertisement in hundreds of American magazines. Featuring the iconic chef “Rastus” feeding a host of ethnically diverse, exotically dressed and cleverly posed children. Along with other selections from the archive, The World’s Fare was loaned out in the late 1980s for a touring gallery exhibition. None of the original paintings commissioned for Cream of Wheat advertising have ever previously been available for sale and we are delighted to offer them.

The World’s Fare

Artist: Edward Brewer
Price: Sold

A large colorful original oil on canvas by The Saint Paul Minnesota artist and Illustrator Edward Vincent Brewer; titled Passed by the Board. A rare surviving archived Cream of Wheat original oil painting that was included in the multi-city museum touring exhibit organized in the 1980’s showcasing the Cream of Wheat Brand advertising art. This 1923 artwork was reproduced as a full page advertisement in hundreds of American magazines and is featured as a full page colorplate on page 76 in The Cream of Wheat Advertising Art book. Cream of Wheat employed giants in the field of illustration to create their enduring advertisements. Counted among those are N.C. Wyeth, Jessie Willcox Smith, Phillip Goodwin, J.C. Leyendecker, and James Montgomery Flagg. With the help of this stable of talent, the Cream of Wheat advertising campaign would come to define some of the most recognizable visions of American hearth and home.

Passed By the Board

Artist: Edward Brewer
Price: Sold

An early original commissioned painting by The Saint Paul Minnesota artist Edward V. Brewer for The Cream of Wheat Company. Image appeared in countless magazines in 1916 and was one of 102 works the artist created for the cereal giant. Titled “He Sho’ Thinks He’s Hiding” the work appears as a full page color-plate (page 68) in Dave Stivers collectors book, “The Nabisco Brands Collection of Cream of Wheat Advertising Art.”

He Sure Thinks He’s Hiding

Artist: Edward Brewer
Price: Sold

An original illustration treasure from the storied Cream of Wheat vaults, this oil-on-canvas by William V. Cahill was used for the 1913 advertisement titled Breakfast’s Ready Li’l Missy. This is perhaps the finest of the 18 works created by this Howard Pyle student for Cream of Wheat. An interior genre scene (in the same interior) painted in 1912 by Cahill titled “The Dress Fitting” set records in a New York City Sotheby’s Arcade Auction selling for a staggering $327,200.

Breakfast’s Ready Li’l Missy

Artist: William Cahill
Price: S O L D

A nostalgic oil on canvas by long time Cream of Wheat illustrator Edward Vincent Brewer created for their 1913 advertising campaign. In “Forty Winks” Brewer’s own children are seen mischievously posed around the chef as he takes a brief nap. This image is a timeless and rich piece of Americana from the archives of the Cream of Wheat advertising vaults, and has never been publicly offered for sale. This new to the market artwork is in pristine archived condition.