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Grapefruit Moon Gallery

Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration

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Vaughan Bass

Cheesecake Pin-Up Art by Vaughan Bass This is a recently rediscovered, rare, surviving pin-up calendar painting by the important illustrator Vaughan Bass. It was published by The Louis F. Dow Calendar Company of St. Paul, MN. Grapefruit Moon Gallery unearthed a collection new-to-the-market pin-up paintings that had been in a house in Saint Louis Park, […]

Grabbing At Straws

Artist: Vaughan Bass

Filed Under: Pin-Up & Glamour Art, Sorry, It's Sold
Tagged With: 1940s, Calendar, Golden Age, Louis F. Dow, pin up, Vaughan Bass
Added to Gallery: July 18, 2020

An endearing, albeit slightly sinister, interior hearth and home Americana scene titled “Magic Spell” by noted calendar and pin-up artist Vaughan Bass. In this late 1940s work, the newly invented television takes center stage in a room of otherwise unsupervised children of all ages. All participants are transformed by the magic spell cast by the glowing console. The unpainted television screen surface would act as advertising placement in the finished calendar where text would be added to appear as though it was on the T.V.

Magic Spell

Artist: Vaughan Bass

Filed Under: Illustration & Advertising Art, Sorry, It's Sold
Tagged With: 1940s, advertising, chicago, child, home & hearth, machine age, Minnesota Artist, original calendar art, Vaughan Bass
Added to Gallery: May 7, 2011

Grapefruit Moon Gallery is delighted to offer a fresh (in all respects!) original oil on canvas pin-up painting by Vaughan Bass for The Louis F. Dow Calendar Company. A young strawberry-blonde nude bombshell with a curling iron readying herself for a night out on the town. A never on the market before fabulous estate find by this under valued and very talented and prolific calendar artist. Work is on original pine stretchers and in a very fine state of conservation, in all regards “The Great American Pin-up”.

An Iron in the Fire

Artist: Vaughan Bass

Filed Under: Pin-Up & Glamour Art, Sorry, It's Sold
Tagged With: 1940s, boudoir, Great American Pin-up, Louis F. Dow, Minnesota Artist, nude, original calendar art, risque, Vaughan Bass
Added to Gallery: June 15, 2009

A charming and well rendered 1954 oil on canvas painting created for an Ohleen Dairy Calendar by the Louis F. Dow Company. The artist is Vaughan Alden Bass, who specialized in pin-up art for this Saint Paul Minnesota gone but not forgotten Calendar giant. Of particular note in this lovely painting is the adorable bakelite crib toy in the lower right corner. verso canvas is dated 1954, and stretcher is marked with Ohleen Dairy, 1954 Line and Current in pen.

Sleeping Child With Crib Toy

Artist: Vaughan Bass

Filed Under: Illustration & Advertising Art, Sorry, It's Sold
Tagged With: 1950s, advertising, american, child, Louis F. Dow, Minnesota Artist, original calendar art, precious, Vaughan Bass
Added to Gallery: May 26, 2008

A breathtaking and evocative sensual moonlit nude by Vaughan Alden Bass. The Veronica Lake look-alike is drenched in streaming moonglow rays in her dark colored boudoir. The unusual color palette employed by Bass gives the work a surreal glow. A stirring masterful work by this under valued and gifted pin-up artist and illustrator. This was gathered from the Saint Paul Estate of a 92 year old woman whose husband worked for the Louis F. Dow Calendar Company.

Moonlit Nude

Artist: Vaughan Bass

Filed Under: Pin-Up & Glamour Art, Sorry, It's Sold
Tagged With: 1940s, erotic, Louis F. Dow, Minnesota Artist, moon, nude, original calendar art, pin up, risque, The Golden Gallery, Vaughan Bass
Added to Gallery: October 31, 2007

A rare and outstanding situational pin-up painting used as calendar art for The Louis F. Dow Calendar Co., circa 1940’s- 50’s. Image is playfully titled Snowshoes it also appeared as a calendar print titled Alask-Ann. This was purchased by a gentleman the day he got back from the Viet Nam War in the early 1970’s. The Dow Calendar Company rented a downtown Saint Paul hotel and sold off their paintings and original calendar art at $50.00 a painting! This is a major find and has never been on the market since it was purchased thirty years ago. He created the “Wonder Bread Girl” in the 1950’s using his daughter Nancy as his model. His portrait of President Dwight D. Eisenhower is in the Smithsonian institution in Washington D.C.

Alask-Ann

Artist: Vaughan Bass

Filed Under: Pin-Up & Glamour Art, Sorry, It's Sold
Tagged With: 1940s, american, chicago, eskimo, Louis F. Dow, Minnesota Artist, pin up, The Golden Gallery, Vaughan Bass, winter
Added to Gallery: February 19, 2006

A rare and outstanding situational pin-up painting used as calendar art for The Louis F. Dow Calendar Co., circa 1950. Image is playfully titled A Double Catch. This was purchased by a gentleman the day he got back from the Viet Nam War in the early 1970’s. The Dow Calendar Company rented a downtown Saint Paul hotel and sold off their paintings and original calendar art at $50.00 a painting! This is a major find and has never been on the market since it was purchased thirty years ago. Great composition and outdoors man-themed, fly fishing/rainbow trout scene in perfect flawless condition as seen.

A Double Catch

Artist: Vaughan Bass

Filed Under: Pin-Up & Glamour Art, Sorry, It's Sold
Tagged With: 1950s, american, cheesecake, fishing, Louis F. Dow, Minnesota Artist, original calendar art, pin up, The Golden Gallery, Vaughan Bass
Added to Gallery: October 22, 2005

 

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