Grapefruit Moon Gallery

Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration

Rolf Armstrong

I am pleased to offer a wonderfully executed original pastel by Rolf Armstrong that was used as a College Humor Magazine cover (February 1933) and also as a pair of Brown & Bigelow calendar prints titled Lets Go Places and a cropped “head only” version titled Florence published a few years later in 1937. A skillfully executed and elaborately detailed (and large for the artist) pastel of a sassy, beret-wearing blonde and her Scottish terrier. Classic good girl imagery by the father of American Pin-up.

Lets Go Places

Artist: Rolf Armstrong

The piece may have been also used as a poster design or perhaps a sheet music cover. As was sometimes the case, this rugged boxer with the large chin featured himself as the model. This is a mixed medium work in that the left side of the detailed map is an actual printed period map that Armstrong adhered to the top of the canvas (he painted in the right area of the map where the text Russia appears). This painting is featured on page 43 of the Michael Wooldridge artist book titled Pin-up Dreams.

The Man Behind The Gun

Artist: Rolf Armstrong

 

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