The Golden Gallery

Featured within The Golden Gallery are works by influential artists such as Rolf Armstrong, Gil Elvgren and Earl Moran. These important paintings represent the pinnacle of illustration art , we trust you will enjoy this curated selection of genre-defining examples and unsurpassed rarities from the Grand Age of American Illustration.

Titled at turns “Toast of the Town” and “A Frame Worth PIcturing,” this 1954 Oil on Canvas is Gil Elvgren at his finest. The painting displays Elvgren’s unsurpassed mastery of composition, color, humor, and the female form. Elvgren’s favorite model, Myrna Hansen, is shown cheekily posed in garters, stockings, and heels by an artist’s easel. Scandalously, Hansen modeled for this pin-up while she was the reigning Miss USA. Describing her tenure as Elvgren’s muse, Hansen has said: “I just had to lift my skirt and say, ‘ahh.'”

Toast of The Town

Artist: Gil Elvgren

A rare surviving other-wordly creation by the elusive artist Arthur Spear Prince, titled Moon Flowers. A large oil on canvas which was exhibited in 1949 at the Pasadena Art Institute. Verso has an earlier Chicago gallery label as well from The House of O’Brien . A masterful American Impressionistic work in soft diffused tones with a balanced serene color palette which is typical of the world that Spear’s inhabitants presided in.

Moon Flowers

Artist: Arthur Prince Spear

A rare surviving original oil on canvas by the talented cover artist Harold or H.W. McCauley (1913-1977), who specialized in science fiction genre work. Exploring fantasy, adventure and space travel themes while maintaining a keen eye for the feminine guiles and allure of the pin-up girl, McCauley was a frequent cover illustrator for Fantastic Adventures between 1939 – 1942. He later illustrated covers for Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy.This work was first used as a cover in the underground 1947 Shaver Mystery Magazine, a fanatically coveted black & white sci-fi pulp devoted to the fantasies and cosmologies of writer/artist Dick Shaver.

The Shaver Mystery Magazine Pulp Cover

Artist: Harold McCauley

Perhaps the finest Rolf Armstrong original pastel ever offered for sale and one of only a hand full of nudes done by this iconic American illustrator. This original pastel was one of three nudes Armstrong did in the 1930’s. It was marketed as a calendar print titled, “Rosalie” as well as “Hollywood Venus”. This large, reclining nude was clearly a personal favorite of Armstrong’s. It hung on his studio walls throughout the 1940’s and 1950’s. This is a large and monumental art deco masterwork by the Father of the American Pin-Up. With an expensive gallery frame, this pastel is in pristine condition with unfaded vibrant colors.

The Hollywood Venus

Artist: Rolf Armstrong

A rare surviving original cover illustration for Rogue For Men magazine by Lloyd Rognan for the premiere edition, a December 1955 Volume #1, Edition #1. This is a particularily rich interpretation of a Men’s magazine cover , and illustrates the interior story on page 9 of included published issue of Rogue For Men magazine, story is titled Gentlemen for Rent by Ted Peckham . Rogue was published from December 1955 – December 1967 by Greenleaf publishing and was a direct competitor with Playboy Magazine.

Gentlemen For Rent

Artist: Lloyd Rognan

This is a remarkable, new to the market, original 1959 Oil on Canvas by Gillette Elvgren. This stunning painting was used for a Brown & Bigelow Pin-up Calendar smartly titled T.V. Spectacular. This remarkable work personifies the appeal of Elvgren, with cleverly posed sexy cutie in garters and stockings precarious posed in a bright colorful outdoor setting. comes beautifully framed in a museum quality carved period frame, verso features original calendar company label. Condition is astounding as is the work.

T.V. Spectacular

Artist: Gil Elvgren

A bright, large, dazzling original Redbook Magazine interior illustration for the story Old Miguel’s Girl. A defining gouache by the gifted and inventive American illustrator Edwin Georgi, this dramatic work features the color palatte and shadowing that Georgi affecionados have come to appreciate. The work radiates around a central glamour girl that is quintessential Georgi.

Old Miguel’s Girl

Artist: Edwin Georgi

A bright, fresh and new to the market original pastel pin-up illustration by Earl Steffa Moran, comissioned for a late 1940s Brown & Bigelow calendar. A winsome young pretty idealized redhead in a Hawaiian flavored sarong. 2 small printed B & B marked calendars featuring “Feature Attraction” are included with sale. Pastel is properly lined and behind glass in a fine museum quality handsome gold gilt carved frame.

Feature Attraction

Artist: Earl Moran

A large and never-before-seen original pastel by Rolf Armstrong, this Green River Soda advertisement features a glamorous pin-up girl. This original pastel was found among other pastels and old lithographs in an abandoned Milwaukee, Wisconsin warehouse building. Decades earlier, the structure had served as headquarters for the “A. C. Schulz” lithography company. Although this piece is unsigned (this is true of much advertising art), it was undoubtedly created by the hand of Rolf Armstrong and is sold as an attributed painting.

Green River Soda Girl 1931

Artist: Rolf Armstrong

An alarmingly beautiful and decorative work by the undisputed king of illustration art Alberto Vargas / Varga. This is a large early (pre Esquire Magazine) pastel by this Peruvian born master. This art deco era original glamour pin-up pastel was used as calendar art in 1935 by The Joseph Hoover & Sons Calendar Company under the title Summertime. In pristine untouched original condition. An original salesman sample copy of the original published calendar print is included with sale.

Summertime

Artist: Alberto Vargas

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