One of the greatest pin-up artists and illustrators of the twentieth century, American artist Gilette (Gil) Elvgren was an immensely popular postwar painter of the quintessential girl-next-door. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Elvgren studied at the Minneapolis Art Institute and the American Academy of Art in Chicago. After graduation, he parlayed his skills into a job at one of Chicago's most prestigious advertising agencies at the time, Stevens & Gross. While there he became the protg of the talented Haddon Sundblom, an artist most famous for his popular Coca-Cola Santas. In 1947, Elvgren began painting pin-ups for calendars for Louis F. Dow, a leading publishing company, but spent the vast majority of his career working for Brown & Bigelow, a firm that still produces calendars today.
Under Sundblom's tutelage at Stevens & Gross, Elvgren developed his lush brush stroke and figural style. Working with rich oil colors, Elvgren was a classic illustrator who mastered the portrayal of the "pretty girl" type championed by other artists such as Charles Dana Gibson and Andrew Loomis. His heroines are less femme fatale and more charming All-American girl, often caught in semi-embarrassing situations in which the elements conspire to divest her of her clothing in an innocent yet intentionally provocative way. In addition to his ad work and calendar girls, Elvgren also painted covers for many magazines including Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, and the Saturday Evening Post.
Known as the "Norman Rockwell of pin-ups," Gil Elvgren joins the ranks of George Petty and Alberto Vargas as the artist most loved and respected by pin-up collectors and fans worldwide. A recent resurgence of interest in Elvgren's work has brought newly printed calendars and record auction prices for the artist.
Gil Elvgren was a great pin-up artist and a master storyteller whom some called "the Norman Rockwell of cheese-cake." His heroines are often caught in humorous but distressing situations that cause their skirts to rise and our eyes to follow. Many of his commissions were with the Coca Cola company.
In 1937, Gil began painting calendar pin-ups for Louis F. Dow, one of America's leading publishing companies, during which time he created about 60 works. Around 1944, Gil was approached by Brown and Bigelow, a firm that still dominates the field in producing calendars and advertising specialties. He was associated with Brown and Bigelow from 1945 to 1972
Elvgren's paintings today are valuable and highly sought-after. His painting Fascination set a record for any work by the artist when it sold for $262,900
1. Elvgren was the best pin-up artist in the history of American Illustration.
2. His talent was prolific enough and important enough to support a major book.
3. His influence, both as an artist and a teacher was extensive.
4. After the publication of "The Great American Pinup" the requests for more of his work were overwhelming.
