ART OF PIN-UP

500 plus sexy paintings by leading artists such as Alberto Vargas, George Petty, and Gil Elvgren that have sold for $2,000 in 1996 are going for $200,000 and more today. Deliciously erotic, clothed, semi-clad, in sheer stockings, teasingly kneeling down or cross-legged, always provocatively posed and inviting, these stylised beauties have great artistic and erotic appeal not only for the nostalgia of the era they evoke but the fun attitude to sex and their femininity and sexuality. Formidably heavy, this comprehensive collector's edition features the top 10 artists profiled in depth include Peter Driben, Arthur 'Art' Frahm, William 'Bill' Bedcalf, Earl Moran, Zoë Mozert, George Petty IV, Alberto Vargas and others. Gil Elvgren painted 700 iconic images alone! The reproduction quality of the paintings, pastels, and preparatory sketches that follow, largely sourced from the original art invites the viewer to trace the brush strokes, while the exquisite period calendars, vintage prints, and original model photos document the artists' creative process. Much of these ephemera were photographed on-site at the historic Brown & Bigelow Company, home to the world's largest archive of vintage pin-up calendars. Pin up drawings, paintings and pastels of an idealised female face and figure intended for public display, was produced between 1920 and 1970, for use on calendars, magazine covers and centrefolds. The majority of original paintings were discarded by publishers and calendar companies after printing. In addition to the chapters on the 10 featured artists, the book includes bios and art of 85 painters, the most complete compendium of pin-up artists ever compiled. 25 x 34cm, 3.15 kg, 548 pages. Gorgeous all-American girls all in colour, naughty in stockings and high heels and semi clad. New from Taschen. Text in English, French and German.