western

This powerful example of golden age American illustration art playfully explores the tension between past and future presented in the early motor age. In this affecting unsigned image, the cliche of the Western Americana “Westward Ho” expansion scene is reinterpreted through the addition of an up-to-the-minute flapper girl in an adorable cloche hat. Beneath our heroine–who, along with her car, is checked out by a cowboy attired service attendant–text reads “Forms No Hard Carbon.”

Forms No Hard Carbon

Artist: Unknown

An important early cover painting by Jerome Rozen for the June 7, 1927 long running twice monthly adventure pulp title “Popular Stories.” This painting combines Westward Ho, covered wagon western Americana imagery with civil war drama, in a vaguely historical scene with intensely powerful imagery. The depiction, in the strong color blocks for which the pulps were famed, features a confederate soldier menacing an elderly African America slave and sympathetic young damsel who are attempting to flee unspoken horrors through the desolate prairie.

A Covered Wagon Confrontation

Artist: Jerome Rozen

A gritty Western pulp cover painting by Walter Baumhofer- “The King of Pulps”-created for the May 1933 issue of Dime Western magazine. The image is a humorous wink at the spicy pulp world featuring a tied-up bondage-posed beauty looking askance at the stereotypical cowboy card game scene she finds herself trapped in. 1933 marked the peak in popularity of the short-lived spicy pulp genre, which gleaned much of its success from eye-catching, drama-filled, damsel-in distress covers similar to this.

Blind Man’s Bluff

Artist: Walter Baumhofer

A rare surviving cover painting by JW Scott, created for a yet unidentified Western pulp publication. A gritty old west scene of a group of cowboys reloading and preparing to fire above a rugged desert pass. The artist created this utilizing an impasto technique that brings a tension and urgent intensity to the Americana Western genre classic. Illustration Magazine recently devoted a large portion of issue #14 on the life and works of John Walter Scott, who worked during the 1930s creating numerous and stylistically diverse pulp covers, the verso canvas notes this was a cover for a “Sept 8 Western,” possibly referring to the “Complete Western Book” or “Wild Western Novels” both of which commissioned covers by Scott.

The Calico Kid

Artist: J. W. Scott

A framed presentation grouping including a thumbnail pastel preliminary sketch by Rolf Armstrong and large format promotional gelatin silver photograph of Jewel Flowers as posed by Rolf Armstrong. These were created for a Brown & Bigelow Cowgirl themed Pin-up calendar titled “Try This” which first appeared in either 1949 or 1950. From the estate of Mike Wooldridge, the noted Armstrong scholar and collector. Mike befriended Jewel Flowers in the course of his research into Rolf Armstrong, and he acquired this directly from Jewel. This is charmingly framed in a rope adorned Western Americana wood frame behind glass and comes with the published B & B calendar of the finished pastel illustration. A unique and effective presentation of the work process of modeling, staging and creating a calendar commissioned pin-up pastel.

Jewel Flowers as a Cowgirl

Artist: Rolf Armstrong

“Racing the Sun” is a rare surviving oil on stretched canvas painting by Ruehl Frederick Heckman, created for the Thomas D. Murphy Calendar Company. During the 1930s Heckman executed a series of five paintings for this storied calendar company, all featuring bold aviation progress and industrial themes. These works ponder the collision of the industrial revolution’s streamlined machine age aesthetic with previous generations traditional and more pastoral ways.

Racing The Sun

Artist: Ruehl Frederick Heckman

Grapefruit Moon Gallery is pleased to offer a rare surviving Jerome Rozen pulp cover painting from an as of yet undetermined Street & Smith 1930s publication. This macabre and defining oil on canvas shows an old west tavern with a handsome, smoking-gun-holding cowboy menaced by a hooded villain in Day of the Dead Calaca mask. This masterful dark western themed artwork is tense with imminent danger. Signed lower right; painting has been relined and is ready to frame and enjoy.

The Day of the Dead

Artist: Jerome Rozen

A delightful and never before offered on the market large and sensational Brown & Bigelow commissioned pastel illustration by Rolf Armstrong, featuring a sassy and sexy stylized southwestern attired cowgirl in traditional charro hat, riding pants and and tassled boots. From the zenith of Armstrong’s long tenure as “The Father of American Pin-up”. A 1944 large Brown & Bigelow Calendar of image titled “Hi, Neighbor” is included in sale. Among the finest Armstrong works we have ever owned.

Hi, Neighbor

Artist: Rolf Armstrong

A fun sassy cowgirl is featured in this original oil on canvas by Gil Elvgren. This work was created for a 1953 Brown & Bigelow commissioned calendar titled Beat That. This rare surviving Western Americana/pin-up cross collectible image is fresh, bright, and a defining work by the well listed master illustrator. Verso retains original Brown & Bigelow label and this is in untouched original condition as seen. Grapefruit Moon Gallery sold this work previously (in June of 2007) and are delighted to be able to offer it again on consignment for a collector who is making wall space for new acquisitions.

Beat That

Artist: Gil Elvgren

A tense and action packed gunfight scene featuring a flapper era cowgirl is presented in this large and rare surviving Domingo F. Periconi oil painting. This artwork was commissioned by Dell publications as cover art for the June 1938 edition of Ace High Magazine, a western pulp. Work has printer’s verso notations and is initialed lower left and really is a defining example of 1930s pulp fiction.

Cowgirl Shootout in The Old West

Artist: Domingo Periconi

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