The Art of Pin up. 40th Ed.

<p>Since TASCHEN released <em>The Great American Pin-up</em>, international interest in this distinctly American art form has increased exponentially. Paintings by leading artists such as <strong>Alberto Vargas</strong>, <strong>George Petty</strong>, and <strong>Gil Elvgren</strong> that sold for $ 2,000 in 1996 are going for $ 200,000 and more today. Pin-up—drawings, paintings, and pastels of an idealized female face and figure intended for public display—was produced between 1920 and 1970 for calendars, magazine covers, and centerfolds. <strong>The majority of original paintings were discarded by publishers and calendar companies after printing, making the surviving art that much more precious</strong>.<br/><br/>This attractively priced edition showcases the top 10 names in the game. Each chapter opens with a reproduction of an original calendar or magazine cover by that artist. The reproduction quality of the paintings, pastels, and preparatory sketches that follow—<strong>largely sourced from the original art</strong>—invites the viewer to trace the brushstrokes, while the exquisite period calendars, vintage prints, and original model photos document the artists’ creative process. Much of these ephemera were <strong>photographed on-site at the historic Brown & Bigelow Company</strong>, home to the world’s largest archive of vintage pin-up calendars.</p>