Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration
This beautiful oil on illustration board painting was created by artist and illustrator William Medcalf as an advertisement for Bavaria brand beer. An inviting, rosy-cheeked brunette pin-up girl smiles while holding up a pilsner of delicious, refreshing Bavaria beer. She also wears Bavaria branded earrings. This has been signed by the artist in the lower […]
Artist: William Medcalf
A large format, detailed preliminary calendar illustration by William Medcalf for a calendar commission that was titled Lesson Learned for The Brown & Bigelow Calendar Company. These humorous “Music Lesson” themed images resonated with the 1950s American public. In this stellar example, two dazed kids are left scratching their foreheads after a […]
Artist: William Medcalf
William Medcalf, the top tier pin-up artist and illustrator created this engaging bathing beauty pin-up as a preliminary artwork for the storied Brown & Bigelow Calendar Company of Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Artist: William Medcalf
In this signed oil on illustration board painting by William Medcalf, a breezy young blonde pin-up dream girl is seen contently sipping Grapette Soda on a bustling summer day as a man in the background prepares a sailboat, presumably to take her out for a lovely day on the lake. This large […]
Artist: William Medcalf
In this nostalgic themed oil and graphite on board, Bill Medcalf offers a view of a sleigh arriving at a rural family home. Evoking memories of ancestral Christmases past, the scene features a smiling group of three generations of kin enjoying a snowy morning. The mustached man and woman holding a baby are featured in many images created by Medcalf, and presumably these were intended to become a year long calendar, which tells a story of a family through time.
Artist: William Medcalf
Capitalizing on the mid-1950s nostalgia for a lost vision of the American heartland, William Medcalf presents a view of a 19th century midwest barn dance, with smiling couples who appear plucked straight of out of the 1955 Academy Award winning musical Oklahoma!. This large, colorful, highly expressive oil on board with graphite highlights was created as the final preliminary painting for a published Brown & Bigelow calendar image. During the 50s, Bil Medcalf was known as one of the company’s star illustrators, and created numerous 12 page calendar series based around themes of classic Americana.
Artist: William Medcalf
During the 50s, Bil Medcalf was one of Brown & Bigelow’s star illustrators, creating 12 page calendar series based around themes of classic Americana. Here, he evokes a classic 4th of July celebration with revelers enjoying a day at Riverside Park. From the soldier checking out the ravishing redhead disembarking her carriage, to the new parents cooing over their baby buggy, the scene evokes a vision of a simpler time, and a patriotic and nostalgic sense of 19th century America.
Artist: William Medcalf
This nostalgic oil and graphite on illustration board, offers a peek into the early days of automotive touring. Bill Medcalf created this as a final presentation painting for one of Brown & Bigelow’s historically themed 12 month Americana calendars. In their finest Sunday clothes, a family taking a jaunt in their 1908-era Ford Model T find themselves lost on a country road. Bringing many of the classic archetypes of early motoring together, the male driver of the car refuses to look at the map his wife is consulting, while a farmer (who has likely never seen a car before) directs them in exactly the opposite direction than they were headed.
Artist: William Medcalf
During the 50s, Bil Medcalf was one of Brown & Bigelow’s star illustrators, creating 12 page calendar series based around themes of classic Americana. Here, he evokes a county fair, with sideshow attractions, and a boy enjoying his first ride on a horse, as his family beams with pride. The scene evokes a vision of a simpler time, and a patriotic and nostalgic sense of 19th century America. This large, colorful, highly expressive oil on board with graphite highlights was created as the final preliminary painting for a published Brown & Bigelow calendar image. Each month likely celebrated a different seasonal landmark.
Artist: William Medcalf
A large and well rendered oil painting by William Medcalf, likely created for The Brown & Bigelow Calendar Company. This dates from the 1940s to early 50s; an era of situationally challenged cheesecake themed entanglements. In this instance, a red head bathing beauty has been startled (or perhaps merely amused) by a green frog. William Medcalf was a leading and prolific illustrator who worked in a variety of styles. His surviving pin-up commissions are especially coveted and this is a fresh-to-the-market, masterful work.
Artist: William Medcalf
