Friday, December 31, 2010

Swipe Spot #12

As previously seen at Swipe Spot #2Ajax and Cassandra by Solomon J. Solomon.


Presented at this time for those planning to finally get in shape this forth coming year.

ad from 1902

Do you think S.J.S got his cut?

Thursday, December 23, 2010

3 Maids-a-Milking?!?!

or: The Truth About Today's Refrigerators!

Today's refrigerators don't keep your milk from souring.

Gil Elvgren, G.E. ad 1941

The wise man has his milk fresh, hence the need for a milk-maid.

Andrew Loomis, Milk-maid

Haddon Sundblom, Milk-maid, demo c1940's

Though if all you want is better results…

Anders Zorn, Maria

…just drink your Ovaltine.

Gil Elvgren, Ovaltine ad 1945

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Antonin Sterba 1875-1963

Antonin Sterba, portrait painter, first studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago,

Antonin Sterba, Self Portrait 

and then in Paris, under Jean Paul Laurens and Benjamin Constant.


Life Study, Paris 1901 - Antonin Sterba

Sterba was a successful teacher at both the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Chicago's American Academy of Art.

life class - American Academy of Art - 1924

Coca-Cola Santa's Haddon Sundblom, pin-up master Gil Elvgren, movie poster illustrator/western artist Howard Terpning, cowboy artist Tom Ryan, and magic realist Ivan Albright are some of his more notable students.

Gil Elvgren,  Sunkissed

figure study by Haddon Sundblom

Gil Elvgren - Check and Double Check



Gillette Elvgren -LIFE- Mr. Sterba

Life Drawing - American Art Academy

Antonin Sterba, Self Portrait 

Lady in White, c1930 - Antonin Sterba


Haddon Sundblom, Love Racquet


Haddon Sundblom,  Coca-Cola, 1959

Howard Terpning, Twas the Night Before Christmas

Howard Terpning also spent valuable time as a Sundblom assistant.

Howard Terpning, Pin
Haddon Sundblom - PinUp

Monday, December 13, 2010

NON-LEYENDECKER

Some time ago, a website naïvely attributed the work of an unknown copyist  as being studies by the hand of J.C. Leyendecker. Unfortunately the images spread like wildfire across the web, and though the claim has since been retracted (I believe), the embers continue to find dry brush. 

For lack of a better word FAKES ~ http://www.americanartarchives.com/leyendeceker,jc_studies.htm

Without going on at length regarding the merits of drawing or brush handling, let me state this~ The method employed by the copyist: grisaille underpainting with colour glazes (akin to tinting b&w photos) was never a technique practised by either of the Leyendeckers.


Now lets identify some of the non-Leyendecker copies.


Alma-Tadema copy

Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema,  A Silent Greeting 


Dagnan-Bouveret etude

Dagnan-Bouveret, Manon Lescaut

Meissonier y Dagnan-Bouveret copies

Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier

Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier

Meissonier copy


Augustus John, Portrait of Bernard Shaw

assorted copies - Post cover by J.C. Leyendecker

Sir William Orpen, Portrait of Roland Knoedler

Saturday, December 11, 2010

SUPER ZERO

Obama propaganda art by The Fake Alex Ross

Like the symbol upon his chest, the circle is complete. He came, he saw, and then he slunk off.


President Bill Clinton with FLOTUS' tool in background


SUPERMAN!!!  Wally Wood knew!!!!!

Superman by W. Wood

…but what did you really expect?


Sing along~

Somebody Super Like You : by Paul Williams

We need a man that is simple perfection
There's nothing that's harder to find
Someone to lead us protect us and feed us
And help us to make up our minds
We need a man that's sophisticated
Quiet and strong and well educated
Where to go what to do
Could it be somebody super like you

We need a man that can stand as a symbol
And symbols have got to be tall
Someone with taste and the tiniest waist
With his help would not life be a ball
If we had fun he would not restrain us
If we got caught he would just explain us
Where to go what to do
Could it be somebody super like you

We pledge allegiance to his gracefulness and charming manners
With a voice that's both sides choice he'll bring us to our knees in admiration
He is king of all who see and hear his perfect pitch
And more surprises when his time is come a stallion rises

We need a man with a head on his shoulders a nose that is simply divine
Hollywood smile and a perfect profile and with eyes that would sparkle and shine
Long flowing hair for a crowning glory
There'd be a man who could tell our story
Where to go what to do
Could it be somebody super like you

We pledge allegiance to his gracefulness and charming manners
With a voice that's both sides choice he'll bring us to our knees in admiration
He is king of all who see and hear his perfect pitch
And more surprises when his time is come a stallion rises
Rises... rises... rises 

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Peder Severin Krøyer (1851-1909)

One may ask, "How did Krøyer paint himself rear-view eating breakfast?". Well ponder no longer!





Peder Severin Krøyer bought his first camera in 1885 and it came to play an important part in his work as artist. The origin of Hip, hip hurrah! was a photograph taken the same year in the garden of a married artist couple named Ancher, at Skagen, Denmark. The photograph is no simple snapshot but a careful arranging of the group in fixed poses. Around the table from the left we see Martha Johansen, followed by Viggo Johansen, Christian Krogh, Krøyer himself, Degn Brøndum, Michael Ancher, Oscar Björck, Thorvald Niss, Helene Christensen and Anna Ancher with her daughter Helga aged four. 




'I have received the camera I told you about. I dare say you were surprised to hear that I wanted a camera. But the fact is that it is something most artists have nowadays, especially abroad, and which can be very useful for photographing objects, movements, or anything at all that remains stationary so briefly, or is seen so seldom, that it is difficult to get time to draw it.' ~ Krøyer in a letter to his family, 1885.


colour study




Sommeraften ved Skagen Sønderstrand med Anna Ancher og Marie Krøyer





P.S. Krøyers fotografier
Forfattere
Elisabeth Fabritius, Marianne Saabye
Redaktør
Marianne Saabye
Udgiver
Hirschsprungske samling, 1990
ISBN
8798136941, 9788798136941
Længde
188 sider



Thursday, December 2, 2010

Anders Zorn (1860-1920)

 While some artist struggle with phantom demons regarding photography, the young Anders Zorn immediately appreciated the convenience of photographic reference. In 1874, at the age of 14, he drew himself from a formal photographic portrait.




Zorn, at 24 years, would take photographs to be used as reference for his genre paintings.






In his fifties, Zorn the master could be found island hopping, camera in hand, catching hons at play (later to be etched).



Click here for more images~
 http://picasaweb.google.com/104843871720362761374/ZORNPhotographsAndRelatedWork?feat=directlink