Alberto Vargas Furniture
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.(Biography provided by Gallery of the Masters)
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Creator: Alberto Vargas
"Nita Naldi" Lithograph by Alberto Vargas
By Alberto Vargas
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Unframed "Nita Naldi" lithograph by Alberto Vargas, circa 1979. The print is in good vintage condition and mesures 21" x 29". #2215
With her green feline eyes, "Nita Naldi," Ziegf...
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20th Century North American Alberto Vargas Furniture
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Alberto Vargas furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Alberto Vargas furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of paper and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Alberto Vargas furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Denis Paul Noyer, Antoni Clavé, and Herman Roderick Volz. Prices for Alberto Vargas furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $850 and can go as high as $850, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $850.