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Harry BartonHell Cat1959
1959
$7,500
About
Signature: Signed Lower Right
Window Size 13.00" x 21.00" Framed 21.00" x 29.00"
Cover for Hell Cat, Beacon Books Paperback
A signed gouache on illustration board painting by Harry Barton, created as the cover for Dorine Clark's 1959 novel Hell Cat. This original artwork is a prime example of the boundary pushing, subversive imagery that helped draw readers to the taboo and lurid stories put out by pulp paperback publishers. These titles often pushed the boundaries of what was considered decent, offering stories of gay and lesbian life, drug culture, and--as in this case--fetish culture. In an attempt to keep censors at bay, publishers often couched their offerings as object lessons or morality tales, but more often than not, these books were intended to intrigue. Though Beacon Books described Hell Cat as "a powerful indictment of sex without love" the subversive cover art by Harry Barton reassured readers that what they would really get is a dark look at "The Velvet Lash" S&M scene, filled with semi-explicit descriptions of "night life as it really is - stripped of glamor, sodden with sex, feeding on naked desire" as the cover slug promised.
This is by all accounts a classic example of 1950s paperback art, nicely matted and framed under glass and ready to hang.
Details
- CreatorHarry Barton (1908 - 2001, American)
- Creation Year1959
- DimensionsHeight: 13 in. (33.02 cm)Width: 21 in. (53.34 cm)
- Medium
- Period
- Condition
- Gallery LocationFort Washington, PA
- Reference Number1stDibs: LU38434303501
Shipping & Returns
- Shipping$175 Standard Parcel Shippingto anywhere in the world, arrives in 4-6 weeks. We recommend this shipping type based on item size, type and fragility.Delivered by a parcel delivery service such as UPS, FedEx, or DHL.Ships From: Fort Washington, PA
- Return Policy
A return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
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About the SellerLocated in Fort Washington, PA
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