Alberto Vargas Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Peruvian, 1896-1982
Alberto Vargas (1896-1982) was born in Arequipa, Peru, in 1896, the son of a successful photographer, and was educated in Switzerland. Arriving in New York in 1916, he was determined to stay in America and pursue what became an illustrious career.
His name has become synonymous with pin-up girls, but in the early 1940s, he was just a guy hired by Esquire magazine to imitate departed star George Petty, who bolted over pay. Vargas initially aped Petty's sleek women with their telephone posing and large-hat lounging; soon, however, his own distinctive, delicate watercolor style emerged. His wide-eyed wonder- women rivaled Betty Grable as the ultimate pin-up girl of World War II.
Vargas, who signed his Esquire work "Varga", had already achieved some notoriety for his Ziegfeld Follies and movie poster art. But Esquire made him famous, though he was paid poorly and, like Petty, eventually quit. Legal problems over ownership of his work, even of his own signature, plagued him.
But late in his life, Vargas was given a second shot at fame and fortune by longtime fan Hugh Hefner. His regular Playboy slot in the 1960s and '70s elevated Vargas to a pinnacle eclipsing Petty.
One of the true giants of American illustration, Alberto Vargas has created an art style so sensuous, so exquisite, that for the past six decades his magnificent paintings of women have come to embody the fantasies of three generations of women and men around the world. His work also appeared in Harper's Bazaar, Theatre Magazine, and Tattler.
He died in December 1982.to
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Artist: Alberto Vargas
Seductive Platinum Blond Hair and Blue Eyed Pin Up in Turquoise Hat
By Alberto Vargas
Located in Miami, FL
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 ...
Category
1960s American Realist Alberto Vargas Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
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C 20th Portrait of Female Nude by Hollywood favourite Vargas: 'Reclining Nude'
By Alberto Vargas
Located in London, GB
Alberto Vargas was a Peruvian artist best known for his drawings and paintings of pin-up girls that were featured in many notable publications in the 20th century including Esquire a...
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Late 20th Century Alberto Vargas Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
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The Best People, Original Promotional Movie Illustration
By Alberto Vargas
Located in Fort Washington, PA
Medium: Watercolor and Ink on Board with Collage
Signature: Unsigned
Sight Size 16.25" x 11.75;" Framed 24.00" x 19.00"
Circa 1925
This illustration was utilized as a movie poster a...
Category
1920s Alberto Vargas Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Ink, Watercolor, Board
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Alberto Vargas drawings and watercolor paintings for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Alberto Vargas drawings and watercolor paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Alberto Vargas in paint, pencil, watercolor and more. Not every interior allows for large Alberto Vargas drawings and watercolor paintings, so small editions measuring 12 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of David Fredenthal, Adolf Dehn, and Peter Driben. Alberto Vargas drawings and watercolor paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $4,092 and tops out at $15,000, while the average work can sell for $7,500.