Mid-20th Century Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

SUSIE Q. SMITH Medium: Newspaper comics Distributed by: King Features Syndicate First Appeared: 1945 Creators: Linda and Jerry Walter 5.5 X 19.5 Dated August 13, 1954 in top right corner. Like her contemporaries, Aggie Mack, Candy and Patsy Walker (before her conversion to a superhero), Susie Q. Smith was a female Archie-type — not exactly an imitator, because Archie, who had started only four years earlier, hadn't yet become popular enough to spawn imitators, but part of his genre. She attended high school, where her teachers often seemed unreasonable to her, interacted with the opposite gender in a typically adolescent way, and her parents didn't completely understand her. And she was cute and perky as only a teenage girl can be. Susie was the star of a comic strip distributed by King Features, the biggest of the comic strip syndicates, whose other offerings have ranged from Jackys Diary to Prince Valiant. King launched the strip in both daily and Sunday form in 1945. Daily, she was only in a panel at first, but it expanded into a full, multi-panel strip on February 7, 1953. In a very odd turn of events, in 1953 the Walters chose to leave King Features behind and hitch their wagon at the McNaught Syndicate. The creators were Harold "Jerry" Walter and his wife, Linda. Jerry was also responsible for Jellybean Jones, who has nothing to do with Jughead Jones's young sister, a modern-day addition to the Archie cast of characters. Together, they did The Lively Ones during the 1960s. Though each was capable of doing both major jobs in comic strip production, their usual working method was for Jerry to dream up the ideas and write the dialog, while Linda did the artwork. The Walters also collaborated on a series of Susie Q. Smith comic books for Dell Comics. Instead of reprinting newspaper strips, these ran new stories by the Walters. Between 1951 and '54, four issues were published as part of the Four Color Comics series, where many minor comic strips, including Dotty Dripple, Timmy and Rusty Riley had found a home. It had no other media spin-offs. Susie Q. Smith had a respectable run in the newspapers, but it ended in 1959. Jerry Walter (1915 - 2007) was an abstract expressionist artist whose output of energetic and colorful paintings were the products of the rich artistic milieu of post-war New York City. He was born Harold Frank Walter in Mount Pleasant, Iowa on November 25, 1915. After graduating from Colgate University in 1937, Walter moved to New York City, where he studied drawing and painting at the New School and the Art Students’ League. Before concentrating seriously on his art, he spent several years as a successful copywriter and idea man for the advertising agencies of J. Walter Thompson, McCann Ericson, and BBDO. During this time, he also worked as a syndicated cartoonist. Collaborating with his wife, Linda, his best-known series was Susie Q. Smith, which first appeared in 1945 and described as a “female Archie type.” Very popular, the cartoon was later the subject of a series of comic books published from 1951 to 1954. After serving in the United States Army for three years during World War II, Walter began to paint seriously. He ascribed his earliest artistic influence to Joan Miró, whose Dog Barking at the Moon (1926) he viewed when he was twelve, the year he published his first cartoon. Walter later wrote that jazz, “the first native expression of so-called modernism” was a strong influence on his work. During the later 1940s, Walters spent time at the Research Studio in Maitland, Florida. Founded in 1937 by artist and architect J. André Smith and supported by the philanthropist Mary Curtis Bok, the Research Studio was a lively colony that hosted prominent artists, including Milton Avery, Ralston Crawford, and Doris Lee. While at the Studio, Walter’s work was purchased by Frank Crowninshield. A founding trustee of the Museum of Modern Art and editor of Vanity Fair, Crowinshield was a noted collector; his collection included important works by Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, Edgar Degas, George Bellows, and Pierre Bonnard. Returning to New York after his time at the Studio, Walter became an active member of the New York school of the abstract expressionist movement, and in the summer of 1956, Walter exhibited 13 paintings and a selection of drawings at New York’s Chase Gallery. The adroit manipulation of both color and composition evident in his work shows the influence of Abstract Expressionism, particularly Willem de Kooning, Arshile Gorky, and Hans Hofmann. illustrator and female cartoonist Linda Walter was the talented female mind behind the beloved "Susie Q. Smith" comic strip. She played an instrumental role in shaping the cultural landscape through her vibrant illustrations. Known for the timeless charm of the "Susie Q. Smith" comic strip, Linda's artistry brought joy and laughter to countless readers during the 1950s and continues to resonate with fans across generations. She was part of the Woodstock artists community. from Women in Comics: Linda Walter was the artist of newspaper strip Susie Q. Smith, which was written by her husband, Jerry. It was syndicated by King Features Syndicate and ran from 1945 to 1959. The Walters also contributed original Susie Q. Smith stories to Dell's Four Color comic books from 1951 to 1954. From 1964-1965, they created a singled panel comic called The Lively Ones. Vintage Golden Age of Comics era. The Golden Age of Comic Books describes an era in the history of American comic books from 1938 to 1956. During this time, modern comic books were first published and rapidly increased in popularity. The superhero archetype was created. Between 1939 and 1941 Detective Comics (DC) and its sister company, All-American Publications, introduced popular superheroes such as Batman and Robin, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Doctor Fate, the Atom, Hawkman, Green Arrow and Aquaman. Timely Comics, the 1940s predecessor of Marvel Comics, had million-selling titles featuring the Human Torch, the Sub-Mariner, and Captain America. Another notable series was The Spirit by Will Eisner. Dell Comics' non-superhero characters (particularly the licensed Walt Disney animated-character comics) outsold the superhero comics of the day. The publisher featured licensed movie and literary characters such as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Roy Rogers and Tarzan. Additionally, MLJ's introduction of Archie Andrews in Pep Comics #22 (December 1941) gave rise to teen humor comics, with the Archie Comics...

A. E. Halliwell (1905-1987) Hats Airbrush and pen 50 x 32 cm c.1930 Stamped signature Provenance: Family of the artist A.E. Halliwell (1905–1986) was a British artist, illustrator...

A. E. Halliwell (1905-1987) Xmas Gifts Airbrush and pen 50 x 32 cm c.1930 Stamped signature Provenance: Family of the artist A.E. Halliwell (1905–1986) was a British artist, illu...

'Butterfly & Flowers', Chinese Hopei Folk Art, 1956. Paper-cut with watercolor, mounted on cream, wove backing paper, with fresh, vivid colors, in excellent condition. Matted to museum standards, unframed. Image size 5 1/8 x 3 1/8 inches; sheet size 8 7/8 x 6 1/4 inches; mat size 14 x 11 inches. ABOUT THIS WORK Hopei or Hebei is a province of North East China, on the Gulf of Chihli near Beijing that is home to Chengde Mountain Resort, the imperial summer residence of the Qing-dynasty emperors. Chengde contains 18th-century palaces, gardens, and pagodas ringed...

Cherry Dancer Marcel Vertes French, 1895-1961 Beautiful girl juggling cherries Work is round but is shown in a square frame and some of the artworks edge is exposed Description: ...

Medium: Pen and Ink on Paper Signature: 11.00" x 11.50" Dimensions: Signed Initials Upper Right

Medium: Gouache on Illustration Board Signature: Signed Lower Left Cover of The Saturday Evening Post, June 19, 1954

Signed lower left, 'Sascha Brastoff' (American, 1918-1993) and dated 1960. 1918 - Sascha Brastoff was born Samuel Brostofsky in Cleveland, Ohio. 1935 - At age 17, Brastoff studies dance and joins the Cleveland Ballet. 1940 - Attends Western Reserve School of Art in Cleveland and, subsequently, works for Macy's in NYC. 1942 - Brastoff enters the Army Air Force. Initially designing posters, he joins the ATC road show. 1944 - Brastoff moves to California and signs a seven year contract with 20th Century Fox as a designer and entertainer. 1947 - Brastoff opens his first ceramic plant in Los Angeles producing hand painted earthenware. 1948 - Brastoff is awarded Best of Show for Pottery at the Syracuse Museum. 1952 - With backing from Winthrop Rockefeller, Brastoff opens a new, larger factory in Los Angeles. The factory is destroyed by fire shortly after. 1953 - A larger 35,000 sq. ft. factory and show-room opens and employs more than 100 people. 1960 - Brastoff's company begins to suffer from financial losses after years of success. 1962 - Brastoff has a nervous breakdow, his company continues to sell items...

Mid Century French Portrait by Josine Vignon (French 1922-2022) Medium: Pencil on artists paper, double sided Size: 10 height) x 6.5 (width) Stamped Verso Condition: Good Provenan...

Original Nina Ricci watercolor c1960s illustration w/ fabric swatch attached Provenance: a Beverly Hills, CA estate Art Sz: 12"H x 8 1/4"W Frame Sz:16"H x 12"W

Mid Century French Portrait Josine Vignon (French 1922-2022) Medium: Pencil/ charcoal on artists paper, double sided Size: 9.75 (height) x 9 (width) Stamped Verso Condition: Good P...

Le Duc D' Aumale is a Lithograph on China paper realized by Auguste Raffet in 1843. Signed in the plate. lithograph on china paper, 1st edition. Good condition with foxing.

William Sommer (American, 1867-1949) Tyrannus, c. 1935 Watercolor and pen and ink on paper Signed lower right 7.5 x 9.5 inches 16 x 18 inches, framed William Sommer is seen as a ke...

Untitled (Wizard Fantasy) Pen and ink on paperboard, 1948 Signed and dated by the artist lower right Extremely rare "Middle Period" drawing. One of two drawings that were given by the artist to Jeanette Kear, Chevy Chase, MD which were signed and dated by the artist. All others in the exhibition are from sketchbooks and have the estate stamp and numbering. Exhibited at National Collection of Fine Arts, Smithsonian Institution, Dec. 6 1979-Feb. 3, 1980 and Fogg Museum of Art, Harvard University, Feb. 22-April6, 1980 Illustrated twice in the resulting catalog, The Drawings of Morris Louis, by Diane Upright Headly, Harvard Univeristy and author of the catalog essay and entries. (See photos) Condition: Mounted to paper board by owner, Jeanette Kear for framing Glazed with glass Image size: 13 7/8 x 16 5/8 inches Frame size: 20 x 23 x 3/4 inches Provenance: Jeanette F. Kear, Chevy Chase, MD Illustrated: National Collection of Fine Art, 1979: "The Drawings of Morris Louis," Catalog No. 1, illustrated D1, reproduced p. 73 Morris Louis Bernstein (November 28, 1912 – September 7, 1962), known professionally as Morris Louis, was an American painter. During the 1950s he became one of the earliest exponents of Color Field painting. While living in Washington, D.C., Louis, along with Kenneth Noland and other Washington painters, formed an art movement that is known today as the Washington Color Schoo Early life and education From 1929 to 1933, he studied at the Maryland Institute of Fine and Applied Arts (now Maryland Institute College of Art) on a scholarship, but left shortly before completing the program. Louis worked at various odd jobs to support himself while painting, and in 1935 was president of the Baltimore Artists' Association. From 1936 to 1940, he lived in New York City and worked in the easel division of the Works Progress Administration Federal Art Project. During this period, he knew Arshile Gorky, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Jack Tworkov. He also dropped his last name. Work Color field painting He returned to his native Baltimore in 1940 and taught privately. In 1948, he pioneered the use of Magna paint—a newly developed oil-based acrylic paint made for him by his friends, New York paintmakers Leonard Bocour and Sam Golden. In 1952, Louis moved to Washington, D.C. Living in Washington, D.C., he was somewhat apart from the New York scene and he was working almost in isolation. During the 1950s he and a group of artists that included Kenneth Noland, Gene Davis, Thomas Downing, Howard Mehring, Anne Truitt and Hilda Thorpe...

Artist: Ian Hornak (1944-2002) Title: Renaissance Female Nude Study Year: circa 1963 Medium: Original drawing on vélin paper Size: 23 x 18 inches Condition: Good Provenance: Estate o...

Nude of Lying Girl is an original artwork realized by Jean-Raymond Delpech (Hanoi, 1916 – 1988) in 1940s. Good conditions. This painting was made with tempera and watercolor. The w...

Original drawing (mixed media on paper) from the artist's notebook known as "Viaggio in Grecia" (Trip to Greece) 1962-1965. Excellent conditions, including a wooden frame. On the bac...

Thelma Frazier Winter (American, 1905-1977) On the Balcony Pastel on paper Signed lower right 20 x 16 inches Thelma Frazier Winter was an American enamelist, ceramic sculptor, and p...

Original TV Guide Illustration Caricature Esther Williams John Raitt Dinah Shore. Published December 25, 1957 in TV Guide as an editorial to promote the Di...

A bit of a mystery as far as who did this original comic strip art. It was done in 1966 and measures 17 inches wide by 6 1/4 inches high.The frame is a...

The artist who made Company Party. (Male French WWII Soldiers with Kepis and Dancing), about 1939, is unknown. It could be J. B. Dolitro, but that's just a guess and a deep Google se...

Portrait in primary blues and yellow of perhaps a Persian man. He is in profile set against a decorative yellow background with floral elements. The work...

Title: Mid Century French Portrait Artist: Josine Vignon (French 1922-2022) Medium: Pencil/ charcoal on artists paper Size: 24.5 (height) x 19 (width) Stamped: Verso Condition: ...

Jim’s of Lambertville is proud to offer this artwork by: Joseph Meierhans (1890 - 1980) Joseph Meierhans is one of the most important modernist painters associated with Bucks Count...

Meticulously rendered account of three prospectors trying to rustle up some water before they can dig up some gold. Magazine Illustration of the Old West, American West, Cowboys Casein on board, Western / Frontier Art...

Study of a sultry and seductive reclining platinum blond Pin Up with a wide-brimmed sun hat. Most likely done for Playboy. This work is very finely rendered and looks better the ...

Artist: Ian Hornak (1944-2002) Title: Renaissance Male Nude Figure Study Year: circa 1963 Medium: Charcoal on vélin paper Size: 23 x 18 inches Condition: Good Provenance: Estate of I...

This artwork "The Old Red Barn" c.1965 is a watercolor on paper by noted American artist Frederick Cole. It is signed at the lower right corner by the a...

Miriam Story Hurford was a prolific and major American female illustrator in the 1930s to the 1950s. Her work was for cover art for women's magazines and home magazines and religious magazines. This work depicts t the wise men being guided by the star of Bethleham to the birth of the Christ child for a Christmas magazine...

Thunderstorm over Boston. July 14, 1930. Ink and watercolor on paper. 10 5/8 x 17 5/8 (sheet 12 x 19 1/4). Signed and dated and titled in ink, lower right; titled verso and annotated...

Leon Bibel, 'Untitled (War Machine)', brush and ink, c. 1936. Estate stamped, verso. A fine expressionist rendering, on cream wove drawing board, with marg...

China ink drawing realized by Mino Maccari in the mid-20th Century. Hand signed lower left. Very good condition.

Watercolor on paper realized by Mino Maccari in the mid-20th Century. Hand signed lower right. Very good condition.

China ink realized by Mino Maccari in 1945. Hand signed and dated. Very good condition.

Landscape is an original tempera drawing on paper realized by Mino Rosi (1913-1995), in 1946. Hand-signed and dated, on the lower left. Good conditions. Mino Rosi, painter, engrav...

Nude of woman is an original modern artwork realized in the half of 20th century by the french artist Emile Gilioli. Sanguine drawingon light brown paper. The artwork is hand signe...

Landscape is a drawing realized by an italian Artist in 1964. Tempera on paper. Hamd signed and dated on the lower margin Good conditions with slight foxing.

Mid Century French Portrait Josine Vignon (French 1922-2022) Medium: Pencil on artists paper, double sided Size: 9.5 height) x 7.5 (width) Stamped Verso Condition: Good Provenance:...

This is a masterfully rendered and brilliantly designed scene from the Arabian Nights. page 33 from Random House. We are not sure if this is by Gustaf Tenggren. However, there are su...

Helmeted man 1" drawing for NASA - Raymond Loewy and William Snaith Space station - Habitability study On paper 16 February 1969 42x35 490€

Unique, one of a kind original gouache on paper from Harper's Bazar series. Hand signed lower front by Erte; titled top front with studio catalog number on verso. Sheet size 10.7...

Medium: Pen and Ink on Illustration Board Signature: Signed Upper Right Caricature by George Wachsteter 1911-2004) for the DuMont Network`s `Star Time`, broadcast from their NYC flagship station WABD (now WNYC). The hour series ran on Tuesday nights at 10 p.m. from September 5, 1950 to February 27, 1951. Depicted from left to right: Benny Goodman...

Medium: Gouache on Board Signature: Signed Lower Left Saturday Evening Post Cover, June 30, 1951

Medium: Gouache on Illustration Board Signature: Signed Middle Right Sight Size 20.50" x 27.00;" Framed 30.25" x 35.00" Framed and matted under glass in antique gold painted art deco...

Painted by Nura Woodson Ulreich (American, 1899-1950) as a full-page illustration for the book 'The Buttermilk Tree', circa 1935. A rare example of a fully-developed pen, ink and gou...

Title: Mid Century French Pencil Study of a Seated Female Nude Artist: Josine Vignon (French 1922-2022) Medium: Pencil and Paper Size: 10.75 (height) x 8.25 (width) Stamped: No ...

Presented in a good broad craved and antiqued giltwood frame in the Spanish Baroque style. Each corner boldly carved with a stylized anthemion mantled by foliate scrolls. The beauti...

Mid Century French Portrait by Josine Vignon (French 1922-2022) Medium: Pencil on artists paper, double sided Size: 9 height) x 7 (width) Stamped Verso Condition: Good Provenance:...

China ink drawing realized by Mino Maccari in the mid-20th Century. Hand signed lower right. Very good condition.

Mid Century French Portrait by Josine Vignon (French 1922-2022) Medium: Pencil on artists paper, double sided Size: 10 height) x 7.5 (width) Stamped Verso Condition: Good Provenan...

Mid Century French Portrait Signed Josine Vignon (French 1922-2022) Medium: Pencil/ charcoal on artists paper, double sided Size: 9 (height) x 7 (width) Stamped Verso Condition: Goo...

An elegantly rendered mid-century Parisian model with a stylish hat is masterfully rendered by American female illustrator Ruth Sigrid Grafstrom ...

'Soldiers Playing Cards', watercolour and gouache on art paper, by Yves Brayer (1939). Such an atmospheric image, this stunning depiction by celebrated F...

The Cavalry Drummer (thought to be the Household Cavalry wearing the uniform of HM Queen Elizabeth II) Frank Duffield (British, 1908-1982) original acrylic painting on board, unframed size: 11 x 16 inches condition: overall very good, minor wear to the edges as is normal for an unframed work provenance: from a large private collection of this artists work in the UK The artist: Born in Warwick in 1901, Duffield came to Bristol at the age of 23 as an artist at the studio of Mardon Son and Hall. He worked as an illustrator producing designs for cigarette cards, remaining with the company for 37 years until his retirement. He was elected an Artist Member of the Bristol Savages in 1946. He was an extremely keen and regular attender not only in the studio but at all other Savage functions. He was noted for his friendly demeanour and seldom seen without a pipe in his mouth. He was a good pianist and would play popular tunes after the Wednesday evenings’ entertainment for members to join in singing and always with his pipe in his mouth. In 1965 he was commissioned by the Gloucester Regiment to paint a portrait of Brigadier Manley Angell James, VC, DSO, MBE, MC, a Bristol man who won his VC during the first World War. The painting is now in the Imperial War Museum. Frank was made a Life Member in 1973 and died in 1982. Frank Duffiled was a member of the artist group, known as "The Bristol Savages": Founded in 1894 by Ernest Ehlers, he invited his fellow Bristol based artists to spend a friendly evening in his studio to work and talk. At first, meetings were held in their private studios, then as their numbers grew, in rented premises. By 1904 this led to the official founding of the Bristol Savages and the holding ever since, of similar weekly meetings between October and May each year. In 1905 the first exhibition of paintings was held at the premises of George Nichols & Co., an auctioneer in Broad Street, Bristol. During the next 14 years exhibitions were held annually in Bristol and their first permanent home was Brandon Cottage which was made available to them through the good offices of fellow member James Fuller Eberle. When the Red Lodge...

John August Groth (American, 1908-1988) "Wrestling Match," Watercolor painting, hand signed upper right and inscribed upper left, "Las Palmas Canary Islands Lucha Canary Wrestling". Framed Size: 21'' x 29'', 53 x 74 cm (sight); 28.5'' x 36.25'', 72 x 92 cm (frame). Depiction of a wrestling match in a city square. John August Groth (1908 - 1988) was an illustrator and art teacher. He gained recognition as a war correspondent-illustrator. He studies at the Art Institute of Chicago and at Art Students League with Todros Geller, Robert Brackman, Arnold Blanch and George Grosz. He was a member: Society of American Etchers; American Newspaper Guild; Society of Illustrators; Associate Member of the National Academy of Design; American Water Color Society. Positions : Art Director at Esquire 1933 - 1937, Parade Publications 1941 - 1944; War Correspondent for Chicago Sun 1944; American Legion Magazine 1945; Artist-Correspondent in Vietnam 1967.Teacher at Art Students LeagueHe was the first art director of Esquire Magazine and taught at the Art Students League, the Pratt Institute, and the Parsons School of Design. In 1940, he was included in an exhibition at MOMA, titled, "PM Competition: The Artist as Reporter." The exhibition included Philip Guston, Reginald Marsh, John Tworkov, John Heliker, Adolf Dehn, and Chet La More. Groth began sketching intently during the Great Depression after studying at the Art Institute of Chicago. Following the advice of an editor, he penned 100 sketches a day for years. He learned to increase his speed by listening to sports on the radio and sketching the action as fast as he could. "I would listen to the games on the radio at night, and sketch the plays. It made me very quick." His break came when Arnold Gingrich, an editor for Esquire magazine, approached him at an art show in Chicago and offered him a position. "The way (Arnold Gingrich) told it," John Groth says, "he found this barefoot, bearded kid in the park, and the next day made him art director of the world's leading men's fashion magazine. But I swear I was wearing shoes." Groth went on to work as a correspondent and illustrator for the Chicago Sun, Collier's, Sports Illustrated, and The Saturday Evening Post. He developed a passion for war zones. He covered six different wars and was one of the first correspondents in Paris after its liberation. "It is only at war that I feel complete... There, you meet all sort of men -- farmers, mechanics, college professors. It rains on them and it rains on you. The shells burst in the air, and you are there, too." He would make a splash when he beat out friend and rival, Ernest Hemingway, into Paris in 1944. Hemingway was writing for the Chicago Tribune and Groth for the Chicago Sun. Groth was in the first jeep into Paris and got the scoop. His headline read, "Yanks are in Paris!" Hemingway would later write about Groth's technique. “None of us understood the sort of shorthand he sketched in. The men would look at the sketches and see just a lot of lines. It was a great pleasure to find what fine drawings they were when we got to see them. Groth went on to illustrate such classic books as: A Christmas Carol, All Quiet on the Western Front, The Grapes of Wrath, The War Prayer, and Gone with the Wind. Deborah Churchman described Groth's work in a 1980 Washington Post article: "Groth's pictures center on the day-to-day life of people caught in terrifying circumstances -- armies occupying cities, soldiers sweeping roads for land mines, bullfighters facing death." Bernie Schonfeld, a photographer for Life Magazine said of Groth, "John is one of the gentlest people in the world, and he always gets himself into the wildest hell hole." He joined the First Congress of American Artists Against War and Fascism in 1936, along with Stuart Davis, Peter Blume...

Sz: 10"H x 17"W Alexander Warren Montel (1921-2002) Fashion illustrator for House of Lanvin Paris in the 1950s featured in Harper's Bazaar Santa w/ Two Models On His Lap

Ideal Decoration is an Artwork realized by the artist Carlo Parisi (1922-2007) in 1935. Black and white drawing on paper. Good conditions. Carlo Parisi...

George Bissill (1896-1973) View over the bridge Watercolour 18 x 22 cm Born in 1896, George Bissill was a British miner, painter and furniture designer. Raised in the mining vill...