GIL ELVGRIN PIN-UPS
(March 15, 1914 – February 29, 1980)
(March 15, 1914 – February 29, 1980)
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S T I L L L I F E
There are some wonderful touches in this painting: from the beautifully done "still life" itself
to the sense of heat and light outside conveyed just by two perfectly chosen colors representing the sky and sand, visible through the tent flap. But the focus is our captive beauty who, unlike the other figures, is carefully and tightly rendered, ensuring that her brightly lit body still manages to
dominate a painting packed with blocks of strong color.
With it's graphic full frontal nudity, "Still Life" looks like an illustration rather than one of his fine art works.
It isn't really a harem painting either but belongs to the white slave captured by
Arab tribesmen in the desert sub-genre.
The girl holding our naturally red-headed beauty is obviously, along with the inevitable Nubian guard,
proclaiming the worth of their captive. The sheikh's favorite however, is looking at her in a "what do you want her for when you've got me?" sort of way. The sheikh seems delighted, however, with his pale-skinned prize, and can't take his eyes off that beautifully rendered ginger bush. The flame-haired woman, who has obviously been just unveiled with some flourish, can't bear to look as she contemplates a fate worse than death. At least she has managed gold on to her high-heeled shoes!
to the sense of heat and light outside conveyed just by two perfectly chosen colors representing the sky and sand, visible through the tent flap. But the focus is our captive beauty who, unlike the other figures, is carefully and tightly rendered, ensuring that her brightly lit body still manages to
dominate a painting packed with blocks of strong color.
With it's graphic full frontal nudity, "Still Life" looks like an illustration rather than one of his fine art works.
It isn't really a harem painting either but belongs to the white slave captured by
Arab tribesmen in the desert sub-genre.
The girl holding our naturally red-headed beauty is obviously, along with the inevitable Nubian guard,
proclaiming the worth of their captive. The sheikh's favorite however, is looking at her in a "what do you want her for when you've got me?" sort of way. The sheikh seems delighted, however, with his pale-skinned prize, and can't take his eyes off that beautifully rendered ginger bush. The flame-haired woman, who has obviously been just unveiled with some flourish, can't bear to look as she contemplates a fate worse than death. At least she has managed gold on to her high-heeled shoes!
Elvgren was one of the most important pin-up and glamour artists of the twentieth century.
Today he is best known for his pin-up paintings for Brown & Bigelow.
The contract he had with the Brown & Bigelow had to meet contemporary standards of taste.
Today he is best known for his pin-up paintings for Brown & Bigelow.
The contract he had with the Brown & Bigelow had to meet contemporary standards of taste.