New York - Drawings

White Bunny Drawing by Oleg Cassini for Playboy October 1979, Signed. Illustration of a woman wearing a white body suit, choker, and hat. Signed by Oleg Cassini. Notice the body suit is in the shape of the head of a bunny with clever use of the 'whiskers'. Approximate Measurements: Length: 11" Width: 14" Property from the Collection of Steven Rosengard, Chicago, Illinois This original drawing was commissioned by Playboy and included in the October 1979 issue of Playboy Magazine (pages 225-227) in a feature that included works from designers such as Bill Blass, Oleg Cassini, Edith Head, Fernando Sanchez, and Monika Tilley, among others, who create their versions of the Playboy bunny costume. Candace Collins can be seen modeling some of the designs in the feature. Oleg Cassini is an icon of twentieth-century fashion. Though born to Russian aristocracy and raised in Italy, he built a fashion empire that was unmistakably American. Cassini is perhaps best known for the hundreds of designs he created for First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy (see images 4-8), but his achievements as a collector, connoisseur, and quintessential twentieth-century man go far beyond Camelot. In 1913, Oleg Cassini was born in Paris to the Russian diplomat Count Alexander Loiewski and Countess Marguerite Cassini, a Russian aristocrat of Italian ancestry who also had an interesting link to America. The daughter of Count Arthur Cassini, Russian Ambassador to the United States during the McKinley and Roosevelt administrations, Marguerite dazzled turn-of-the-century Washington as her father’s official hostess and left her mark on the capital city. Stationed in Denmark when the Russian Revolution toppled the czar, Ambassador Cassini and family were exiled to Switzerland before settling in Florence, Italy, where young Oleg was raised. A true Renaissance man, he spoke Russian, French, and Danish before adding Italian and English; he studied medieval and modern European military history and costume and learned to draw; he learned horseback riding, fencing, and the art of chivalry; and, most importantly, he came to understand the struggles of the Russian titled class and other European aristocrats in the wake of the Russian Revolution and World War I. Countess Cassini started a successful fashion business in Florence, and soon the talented young Oleg was sent to Paris to sketch the latest collections for recreation in Italy. In Rome in his early 20s, Cassini created fashions for high society women and designed for a few films, which planted the seed for his move to Hollywood. The drive to reinvent himself brought Cassini to America in the 1930s; in his autobiography he describes arriving nearly penniless in mid-Depression New York City where his title as an exiled Russian Count meant even less than in war-devastated Europe. Down and out, Cassini struggled for employment, having sketching skills but no knowledge of the wholesale trade required for survival in Manhattan’s Seventh Avenue fashion district. However, he excelled at making connections, and Cassini slowly entered New York society. He was soon joined by younger brother Igor (who had studied in America and travelled with the young Emilio Pucci) and his parents, the once-dazzling Countess and his father, the displaced diplomat still loyal to Russia. The family settled in Washington, D.C., and Igor worked his way up the Hearst newspaper chain to become the famous society columnist Cholly Knickerbocker. In New York, Oleg Cassini married the troubled socialite Merry Fahrney (who would go on to marry eight times), but the marriage ended in scandal for Oleg, and he decided to follow his original intention and head for Hollywood. Despite initial difficulties, Cassini gained access to Hollywood’s elite (partially through his skills on the tennis court), and was soon hired as a designer at Paramount Pictures alongside the redoubtable Edith Head. In her 1941 film debut I Wanted Wings, Veronica Lake wore a memorable Cassini design. That same year, Cassini met and married the newest young Hollywood star on the scene, the beautiful 20th Century Fox–talent Gene Tierney. With the outbreak of World War II, Cassini enlisted in the Coast Guard but was transferred to the U.S. Army Cavalry which allowed officers of foreign birth. He attended basic training at Fort Riley, Kansas, and the horsemanship he learned as a boy served him greatly. He attended Officer Candidate School and reached the rank of First Lieutenant (he also became an American citizen at this time, losing his title of Count). Cassini spent several years posted at Fort Riley, where Tierney joined him before he landed a convenient military post in Hollywood. As Tierney’s career thrived (she played the title role in Otto Preminger’s Laura in 1944), she was able to assert her influence over 20th Century Fox’s head Daryl Zanuck, who hired Cassini as designer for Tierney on her 1946 film The Razor’s Edge, which proved to be a brilliant showcase for his talents. The pair separated the same year and, again seeking reinvention, Cassini re-established himself in New York City as a fashion designer. By 1950, the Oleg Cassini label was born. Combining his knowledge of Old World and modern Europe, Hollywood, the tennis courts of Palm Beach and Newport, and of course, New York City, Oleg Cassini invented a new brand of fashion that was distinctly American and of its moment. For his first collection, Cassini took to the stage, narrating the looks and imbuing the scene with his personality, unusual in an industry where the designers typically remained backstage and the models were called by number over a PA. The first collection was a smash — the president of Lord & Taylor devoted all of their storefront windows to his designs — and by 1955 sales had reached $5,000,000. Oleg Cassini’s career had turned a very positive corner. Cassini spent the early 1950s traversing the country, personally selling his collections to department stores in the interior, something his predecessors had never done, and moving between the Hollywood and New York scenes. Cassini’s brother Igor coined the term “the Jet Set” for this generation that constantly flew from New York to Los Angeles (then a ten-hour flight), Las Vegas, Paris, Rome, and the Riviera. In 1954, Cassini set out to woo Grace Kelly and sent her roses every day. The two were briefly engaged before her marriage to Prince Rainier of Monaco. In December 1960, Cassini’s career-defining opportunity came when he was chosen by Jacqueline Kennedy to design her fashions for the White House. Cassini had long known Joe Kennedy and his war-hero son John, and had first met Jacqueline Bouvier before her marriage in the early 1950s. Invited by President-Elect Kennedy to meet Jacqueline at Georgetown Hospital (she had just given birth to son John Jr.) to present to her drawings of potential dresses and First Lady looks, Cassini worked furiously to prepare a new line for the First Lady. Mrs. Kennedy had always had her clothes made by the top French couturiers of the day, but for the White House she wanted an American designer. Cassini wrote in his autobiography that he told the First Lady: “‘You have an opportunity here,’ I said, ‘for an American Versailles.’ She understood completely what I was trying to communicate; she began to talk excitedly about the need to create an entirely new atmosphere at the White House. She wanted it to become the social and intellectual capital of the nation” (Oleg Cassini, In My Own Fashion, 1987, p. 327). Mrs. Kennedy loved Cassini’s design for a gown to wear to the Inaugural Gala (she had already ordered a dress from Bergdorf’s for the Inaugural Ball), and Cassini was selected as the First Lady’s designer and was soon dubbed the “Secretary of Style.” From 1960 to 1963, Oleg Cassini would design over 300 items for Mrs. Kennedy, creating the “Jackie Look” that contributed not only to a fashion revolution but also the dawn of a new age. Cassini wrote that “Jackie played a very active role in the selection of her clothes. She loved brilliant colors — pistachio, hot pink, yellow, and white among others. Her sense of style was very precise; she would make editorial comments on the sketches I sent her. She always knew exactly what she wanted; her taste was excellent” (Oleg Cassini, In My Own Fashion, 1987, p. 334). After the Camelot years, Cassini’s business flourished and grew into a major industry; his name appeared on everything from couture to tennis-, sport-, and swimwear, car interiors, housewares, and perfume. He collected beautiful and rare artwork, arms and armor, and antique furniture, and lived the lifestyle projected by his image. From this period onward, Cassini also came to live in important homes. Of his Gothic Gramercy Park townhouse on Manhattan’s 19th Street he would write imaginatively, “I walked into the foyer and immediately fell in love. It was a place unlike any other in New York, a sixteenth-century Dutch house transported brick by brick from Europe by the Wells Fargo family in the early twentieth century. There was a vaulted, twenty-foot ceiling in the living room, leaded windows, elegantly carved wood paneling...

Large drawing of water tower at Fort Ethan Allen in a wood frame. Purchased from an East Hampton Estate. Brown stains on print.

Serpent & Galleon, Ink on Paper, in an 18th Century GiltWood Frame.

An original Maison Jansen pencil drawing depicting an architectural detail "Rosace de Plafond Louis XIV" page 136 Stamped: Jansen, 9 Rue Royale Paris 8e.

Diminutive etching of Magdelena in a gilt frame signed and dated. This highly decorative print is 6 inches x 8 inches unframed and when sitting in its finely gilt and carved frame it measures 11 by 14 inches. Very well done, signed and dated in a matted background. Daniel John Pound (active 1842-1877), Engraver. Pompeo Girolamo Batoni...

Three drawings of boxers by Tony Sisti. Sisti was a master draftsman. With just a few lines he captures the moment. Sisti was a professional boxer and an accomplished artist. He was able to see the subject from the view point of the boxer and the artist. The seated boxers...

An original Maison Jansen pencil drawing depicting an architectural detail "Rosace de Plafond Louis XIV" page 133 Stamped: Jansen, 39 Rue Royale Paris 8e

The title of this original illustration by the artist George Venson is "Jumping Ship: An Illustration of the Way I See Things Right Now". It is a...

Dated mid-20th century industrial hand drawing, highly collectible Italian modern Product Design for a lacquer yellow desk light project, realized without ruler in pastels and gouach...

An original Maison Jansen pencil drawing depicting an architectural detail "Petit Panneau Empire" page 72 Stamped: Jansen, 9 Rue Royale Paris 8e

One of a series of drawings Bernard Boutet de Monvel made circa 1922 while participating in the Croisière Citroën, an expedition comprising scientists and artists who traversed the S...

Ethel Magafan (1916-1993) pen and ink sketch drawing entitled "Evening Mood". Signed lower right. Circa 1950. This piece comes from the Estate of Anton Otto Fischer after Magafan moved to Woodstock, NY where his home and studio were. Good overall condition. Wear consistent with age and not being framed. There is obvious darkening of the paper surface due to the piece originally having an old matte surrounding the sight opening. No visible rips, tears or restorations. Soft corners and edges. Approximately 8" wide x 6" high. Bio: After World War II, many people in the US were on the move, and on the advice of older artist friends in Los Angeles, Arnold Blanche...

Santa Maria della Salute drawing by Hercules Brabazon Brabazon (1821-1906). Crayon and pencil on tinted paper in water-gilt frame. Signed wi...

Nice original watercolor of a footbridge over a pond in Central Park NYC. Skyscrapers of the day in the background. In excellent vintage condition with minimal wear, needs a new mat....

The pair of gouaches with views of a volcanic eruption during the day and the night

Cirque Medrano chalk Illustrations by André Legrand-Chabrier. André Legrand-Chabrier (1876-1945) was a French novelist, journalist, illustrator and chron...

2005 Nude female drawing on stock quotes from the financial section of a newspaper. Signed.

A richly-hued abstract work on paper by the artist M.P. Landis. The artist's abstract paintings and works on paper are the type that take form through the artist's layering of materi...

Charcoal abstract of geometric forms on paper (1959 signed: MICHAEL LOEW).      Though the painter Michael Loew is today best known for his colorful and gestural Abstract Expression...

Framed Gio Ponti drawing Accompanied by Gio Ponti Archive certificate attached to verso.

This ink and watercolor figurative abstract expressionist piece on paper is signed by its creator, noted New York School artist Salvatore Grippi. Though undated, the piece is fits in...

A fantastic gouache on paper from 2008 by Michael Glier, a recipient of a National Endowment Fellowship in drawing and a Guggenheim Fellowship in painting. The drawing "Wall Street,...

A pastel and watercolor portrait of the poet Marc Chesneau (1899-1980), drawn by Gaetano de Gennaro (1890-1959). Drawn on paper, signed and dated with the message "to the poet of Rev...

1880s Paul Albert Besnard pencil drawing of a woman. In a gold gilt frame. From a celebrity’s Southampton, NY oceanfront estate.

1870s Charcoal drawing of an English girl. Signed.

Set of four etchings by American artist William Goodrich Beal, circa 1880s. Scenic Massachusetts coastal towns and beaches. All signed in ...

During her first years in New York Blaine's work, which had previously been tightly realist, turned abstract, inspired by Mondrian, Leger and Jean Helion. At one time she was the you...

An antique French etching by Jean Charles Millet offers evening cityscape scene with river, bridge and structures, artist signed as photographed...

Pair of antique classical French salon drawings. Charcoal on paper. Illegibly signed. In giltwood frames, early 19th century.  

Thierry Despont was best-known for his very successful architectural practice—but he was also an accomplished artist. Some of his most interesting works are a series of sculptures fa...

2005 Drawing of a nude woman on newspaper, from the financial section. Signed.

These two drawings by the same hand are unsigned. Done in Sanguine on paper the nudes appear to both be different aspects of the same individual since both works have the same facial...

This lot of four pencil drawings by Charles Domsky featur the artist's abstract work with geometric figures and shapes done with colored pencils. The Philadelphia native found his ar...

Contemporary abstract painting in gouache and pencil on paper in a black rectangular frame (Untitled, 2010. Tom John) 12 more similar pieces: JOH6201-JOH6212.

1880s Paul Albert Besnard pencil drawing of a reclining woman. In a gold gilt frame. From a celebrities Southampton, NY oceanfront estate.

Eugene Berman (1899–1972) An untitled stage design, ink and wash on paper. French, circa 1950. Signed lower right: EB.

"Birds Over The City"

1880s Paul Albert Besnard pencil drawing. From a celebrity’s Southampton, NY oceanfront estate. In a gold gilt frame.

Burton Stanley Hasen (New York City, 1921 - 2007) abstract expressionist mixed media (watercolor and ink) on paper. A New York native, Hasen relocated to Paris to study art at the Ac...

Sergei Firer (Russian, b. 1954). Reflect II and III etchings. Both pencil numbered 82/90 LL, pencil titled lower center and pencil signed LR. Size: Sight: 7.5" x 9" framed: ...

1880s Paul Albert Besnard pencil drawing of floating face. In a gold gilt frame. From a celebrity’s Southampton, NY oceanfront estate.

Dated mid-20th century industrial hand drawing, highly collectible Italian modern Product Design for a lacquer red desk light project, realized without a ruler in pastels and gouache...

This vintage poster comes from European Advertising throughout the years of 1920. 1930, and 1940. Pictured above is a woman surrounded by a bunch of furry friends.

Exquisitely drawn in pencil and a feather, light ink wash, creating a pale, ghostly image that is refined and haunting, this full length male nude was accomplished by Cecil de Blaquiere Howard...

Pair of 1930s drawings if sleeping babies by P. Cazot.

Charles Betout was the principal costume designer for the Comedie-Francaise in Paris for twenty years until his death in 1939. This is costume was designed for the 1926 production of...

Arthur William Brown illustration drawn in 1915. Inscription by Booth Tarkington in 1944. From a Southampton, NY estate.

Richard Giglio, American, b. 1936 Nude Studies, Crayon on Vellum, Signed Measures: 26.5" w x 29.75" h Richard Giglio was raised in New Rochelle, ...

1880s Paul Albert Besnard pencil drawing of a sitting woman. In a gold gilt frame. From a celebrity’s Southampton, NY oceanfront estate.

Beautifully framed original abstract drawing, Untitled, 1997, pencil on paper, 30" x 22" sheet, by Martin Kline, signed and dated in lower left. Martin Kline’s (b. 1961) work ref...

Contemporary abstract painting in gouache and pencil on paper in a black rectangular frame (TOM JOHN, 2010) (12 more similar pieces: JOH6200-JOH6212)

This drawing by Earl Hubbard (1923-2003) was made in 1961. It depicts a woman in a stark, simplified form, almost a complete silhouette. The work is mixed...

Vintage Eames Lounge Chair poster

A. Licola. Italian Dove Sketches. Charming annotated studies of Italian doves/pigeons newly framed. Italy, 20th Century. Dimensions: 13.5" W x 16.5" H x 1'D; sight:  7.5" x 10.5"

Original watercolor opera costume design by Charles Betout, the principal costume designer for the Comédie-Française in Paris from 1919 til his death in 1939. Betout was renowned for...

This drawing by Earl Hubbard (1923-2003) was made in 1964. It depicts the artist's father in simplified form and palette. The work is mixed-media on paper...

John Lennon & Yoko Ono Seals Art Poster Print. Hardware for hanging. Seascape / Nautical drawing. Taken from the personal sketchbook of John Lennon.  

20th Century Oil Pastel on Paper Sketch by Ralph Dubin