Fritz Wagner

Too Close to Call

1816-1918

William Bouguereau French 1825-1905 Petite Mendiante (Little Beggar) Signed “W. Bouguereau 1880” (center left) Oil on canvas William Bouguereau's faithful images of young women a...

Léon François Comerre 1850-1916 French L'odalisque à l'éventail (The Odalisque with the Fan) Signed "Léon Comerre" (upper left) Oil on canvas Combinin...

Gil Elvgren 1914-1980 American Partial Coverage Signed “Elvgren” (lower right) Oil on canvas The iconic illustrations of Gil Elvgren have become an irreplaceable facet of the American artistic landscape. Flirtatious beauties in light-hearted situations were the dominant subject matter for this intuitive artist, whose eloquent brush strokes dutifully captured the innocent sensuality of the mischievous girl next door. Partial Coverage, originally published in the 1956 Brown & Bigelow calendar, epitomizes the coquettish spirit of his beauties, whose nostalgic glamor give us a glimpse into a simpler time in American history. Elvgren is considered to be the greatest American pin-up and glamor artist. The majority of his work was done for the famed Brown & Bigelow, though at various points in his career he also worked for magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post and Good Housekeeping, as well as large corporations including Sealy Mattresses, General Electric and Coca-Cola. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Elvgren began his artistic education at the Minneapolis Art Institute, and later the American Academy of Art. His first job upon graduation was at the Chicago advertising firm of Stevens and Gross, working directly under Haddon Sundblom, famous for his Coca-Cola Santas. Elvgren would soon become his star pupil, contributing much to the Coca-Cola campaigns and eagerly learning techniques that he would carry into his famed pin-ups. After completing several special commissions with rave reviews, Elvgreen began doing pin-up work in 1937 for the Louis F. Dow Calendar Company, the biggest retailer of calendars of its day. Almost overnight, the artist became one of the most respected and successful commercial artists of his generation. More commissions followed, and, along with his work for Dow, Elvgren found himself booked solid at least one year ahead of his output. It was in 1944 that Brown & Bigelow approached him with an offer for a staff position. From that point on, for the next 30 years, Elvgren enjoyed tremendous commercial success unlike any other American artist of his day. Circa 1956 Canvas: 30 1/8“ high x 24 1/8” wide Frame: 33 3/4“ high x 27 7/8” wide x 1 1/2“ deep Literature: Charles G. Martignette and Louis K...

Jean-Pierre Cassigneul b.1935 French La terrasse devant la mer (The Terrace by the Sea) Signed “Cassigneul” (lower left) Oil on canvas laid on panel This monumental, three-panele...

French Academic painter Louis-Joseph Courtat displays his mastery of composition and the female form in this entrancing oil on canvas. Entitled Baigneuses, the work was painted for and exhibited at the 1885 Paris Salon, the foremost exhibition of painters in the Western world. Large in size, it captures two nude bathers within a tranquil beach scene. While the artist's skill for landscape painting is on display, it is his command of form, light and color that bring this canvas to life. The artist specialized in paintings that glorified the nude, and his skill is clear in the luminosity of his models' skin and the classical beauty of their form and proportions. With their soft, undulating curves and flowing hair, Courtat's models reflect the two key influences on the young painter, that of the great Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres as well as his teacher Alexandre Cabanel. Like these two greats who came before him, Courtat similarly follows in the artistic tradition of the female nude that is traceable to classical antiquity and the Italian Renaissance. Born in Paris in 1847, Courtat studied at the famed École des Beaux-Arts under Cabanel. He was one of the Academic master's first students at the school, where he began to teach in 1864. Displaying considerable skill at an early age, Courtat won the Prix de Rome around 1870, and subsequently studied in Rome for a number of years. He returned to Paris in 1873 to make his debut at the Salon, where he was met with immediate success, receiving a third class medal. He received medals again in 1874 and 1875, a remarkable achievement for a painter of his age. In addition to the monumental nudes...

Ramon Dilley 1933 - Spanish Élégantes à Deauville Signed “Dilley 91” (lower right) Signed and titled “Ramon Dilley / Elegantes a Deauville” (en verso) Oil on board laid on canvas ...

Artist Unknown Medium: Oil on Canvas Dimensions: 16" x 13" (canvas) 22" x 19" (frame) Framed

This licensed Blend Cota oil on canvas painting of Wonder Women - Champion of Themyscria - oil on Canvas is brought to life utilizing Blend's own famous col...

Subject: Jewish American Family Bar Mitzvah with Rabbi Medium: Oil Surface: Canvas Country: United States In this painting, Joseph Wolins uses vibrant and complimentary colors and...

Medium: Oil on Canvas Signature: Signed Lower Left Saturday Evening Post Cover, July 21, 1956 This Falter cover was owned by Sarah Johansen, daughter of John Falter. She is the you...

Medium: Oil on Canvas with an Element of Collage Signature: Signed Lower Left Original cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, February 27th, 1954. The Post described, “...

Medium: Oil on Canvas Signature: Signed Lower Right Original cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, July 18, 1953. The Post described, “Gently, gently now, for both side...