Welcome to Grapefruit Moon Gallery's holiday sale, offering 20% discounts on our entire collection of original illustration art. The Grand Age of American Illustration was at its peak after the turn of the century in the early 1900s. The printing industry with its technological advancements and the American Industrial Revolution made for a multicolor offset printing process that was fast, affordable, and flat-out glorious in print. Cover artists were much in demand, earned lavish salaries and often became household names and stars in their own right. The distinction between fine art and "art for commerce" was blurred and artists like Alphonse Mucha, Maxfield Parrish, Norman Rockwell, and countless others excelled in both realms. These often lost original paintings are available exclusively via Grapefruit Moon Gallery.

Fire Dancer Charles Edward Chambers	The Queen of Summer Willy Pogany

A well executed and precise interior depiction by noted American Pulp Illustrator Jerome Rozen, for the June 1936 edition of Redbook Magazine. Work retains verso label from the magazine and painting is initialed lower right and identified on the back label as Mr. Jerome Rozen.

A New Year's themed cover painting by Leslie Thrasher for the January 9, 1932 edition of Liberty Magazine. The painting finds the serialized couple "Sandy and Lil" renewing their wedding vows in the midst of the Great Depression with a cherubic baby New Year with quill pen acting as the notary clerk. Image follows the tradition of January New Years Babies covers painted by Norman Rockwell and J. C. Lyendecker in The Saturday Evening Post.

A humorous moment in the midst of the Great Depression is the subject of this Liberty Magazine (November 21, 1931) original cover painting by Leslie Thrasher. Titled "Second From The Right" the cover chronicles the continuing story of "Sandy and Lil", who frequented the cover of Liberty magazine in scenes from their typically 1920s courtship, wedding and early married life. This artwork (as explained in short interior story) finds the couple'a finances wiped out in the recent stock market crash. A neighbor (a rich lawless bootlegger!) turns up with a pair of complimentary tickets to The Follies and Sandy finds a particular showgirl much to his liking "second to the right."

A large and deftly rendered interior illustration painting by beloved American Illustrator James Montgomery Flagg. Created for a 1920s edition of Hearst's Magazine. A young jazz age couple who find themselves with 3 young children are pondering their sleep deprived chaotic extistence with "Twisted Hearts". Flagg was a wildly popular prolific illustrator who is best known for creating The Uncle Sam characterization that has become an iconic American part of history. Work is nicely matted and framed.

A large oil on illustration board painting by E.F. Ward commissioned for an interior story titled "Drumheads and Dairy Maids" by Helen Topping Miller for the November 1918 edition of A Woman's Home Companion. Work is beautifully displayed in oval matted, wide profile period antique frame behind glass.

An electrifying, intense, and important original oil painting by Eric Pape for a 1928 Edition of Victor Hugo's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." A dark and macabre masterwork from a climactic mob scene in this brooding despairing tale, the work is featured as a full page color-plate on page 488 in the chapter "An Awkward Friend". An artist signed hard cover edition of the book is included with the sale and the work is nicely matted and framed in a period frame behind glass.

A delightful original circa 1915-1925 gouache commercial illustration of unknown use and origin, showing a well articulated Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman and an Indian Chief in traditional headdress, both on horseback, envisioned in the vast expanses of The Canadian Rocky Mountains. This fine old gouache illustration painting is framed in a handsome wide profile antique period frame.

A delightful pen & ink drawing of a flirty coquettish lass who goes by the name of "The Tango Girl". In all ways this appears to be an artwork by Nell Brinkley though it is inscribed "Mae Howers", not sure if this perhaps was the model? The image, style, handwriting and era all point to this being the work of Nell Brinkley.

A festive Christmas themed oil on canvas by Charles E. Chambers. This image was used as the front cover for the December 1934 issue of Redbook Magazine. A modernist, art deco, high society depiction of a hatted glamour girl in holiday seasonal red and white, with a sprig of green holly. Work is nicely framed and a copy of the published magazine is included in the sale.

A luminous and sensational oil on canvas by Charles Edward Chambers, a masterful magazine and advertising illustrator of the belle epoque and jazz age. Chambers created this remarkable, highly sensuous Polynesian enchantress scene as a commisioned interior magazine illustration, likely for Cosmopolitan where he was under exclusive contract for many years. This uninhibited and erotic island dance scene is one of Chambers' finest paintings, and a masterful example of early 20th century exoticism in illustration.