Informative Comparative Look

To some followers of Mucha, these images won't be new. But to others, it could be an informative comparative look at Mucha's reference photos and the resulting works.

Mucha

— Poster for The Spring Festival of Song & Music in Prague —

1914

Mucha — Emerald — 1909

Mucha — Poster for The Regional Fair at Ivančice — 1912

Mucha — A plate from Documents Décoratifs — 1899

Mucha — study for the cover of Cloches de Noël et de Pâques —1900

Hey Larry!

Jewel of the Desert

In a world of beautiful hotels, there are some that are downright gorgeous—such as The Arizona Biltmore, known as the Jewel of the Desert, built in 1929. One of the facets of the jewel is of course the artwork, such as these two companion murals, interpreting First People's symbology with an Egyptian flavor.

Maynard Dixon — The Legend of Earth and Sun —1929

Edith Hamlin — The Turquoise Goddess and the Warrior Twins — 1949

A glimpse of Hamlin's mural in situ

Top Layer of Fashion

As promised at the end of December, here is a bit more work of George Stavrinos, passing too soon at the age of 42 in 1990.

He was amused that people thought that just because his work was on a top layer of fashion, that he was involved in the fashion social set—going to elite parties with all the models. Nope, he was at home, toiling on the deadlines, many times with less than 3 days lead time.

A bit more to come another day.

Figure with Six Portraits — 1980

Fashion for Estévez — 1985

Figure with Sphere — 1980

Statue of Liberty Torch — 1979

Woman with Zephyr — 1979

That Mucha Look

Alphonse Mucha, world renowned for his Art Nouveau graphics, used photographs of models for much of his reference material. But sometimes the photographs themselves were beautiful and had that Mucha look about them—such as this inspirational 1919 image he used as a study for a bank note design.

Ancient Magic . . . Weird Dream Worlds

Case in point, about Kelly Freas — what a fun cover for a fun book.

Frank Kelly Freas

As a teen, I just couldn't get enough of Freas and Jones and Frazetta and Krenkel and many others as some of you have pointed out. This is getting to be an old tune I sing out of key, but going into the drugstore in the 60s and browsing all those books on the spinner with all those great covers by the great illustrators of that time was mind boggling. I'm glad I had enough sense to pay attention back then. As I've said before, that was MY little golden age . . . and of course, for some of you as well!

I guess any teen can have a golden age in any era, if they just pay attention.

Joi de Sci-Fi

There's something about a Freas cover that was always enjoyable—a certain spirit, a certain joi de sci-fi. He could combine realism and caricature in a way that felt balanced . . . and fun! I used to collect Freas stuff with a fervor. I've got some more coming up.

Frank Kelly Freas — July, 1977

A Post Post

It's been a while since I've posted any comic book stuff, so let's post some Howie Post!

Howie, who passed away not so long ago, had a long and respectable career in cartooning. One of his early gems was Jimminy and the Magic Book series, back in the '40s. As has been noted by BookSteve, Howie was influenced early on by Walt Kelly's work—but certainly not imitating him.

We have OtherEric, of the Digital Comic Museum, to thank for these scans. He sent them over a long time ago, but I just now got around to cleaning them up a bit. OtherEric has shared a bunch of The Adventures of Peter Wheat over on Whirled of Kelly, and I certainly appreciate his continued friendship!

Ancients in Their Ways

One of the decadent pleasures of ancient Romans was the enjoyment of bathing, as shown here by Roy Krenkel—his decadent pleasure being to portray the ancients in their ways.

Roy Krenkel — The Tepidarium-Baths of Caracalla

Roy Krenkel — Roman Bath

Roy Krenkel — sketch for Tepidarium

Ways of Sin and Gluttony

Thomas Couture — Romans of the Decadence — 1847

For being so decadent and having such a grand time, the Romans look pretty dour in this painting. But then maybe the artist himself didn't approve of what he was painting—perhaps tsk tsking the whole time he was painting? Perhaps he felt like he was pointing out the ways of sin and gluttony? Perhaps he was disappointed that HE never got invited to parties like this? Or maybe it was just that this particular party has been going on far too long and the ale is stale.

Those two guys on the right are definitely not happy about what they're seeing, even though one of them looks to be sashaying onto the scene.

Spectacle for the People

While Nero fiddled, Rome burnt—or in this case while Charles Laughton lyred and Claudette Colbert laid, the Circus Maximus spectacled.

This was program art for DeMille's 1932 pre-code epic film Sign of the Cross. I must admit that the event program sounds intriguing. The mind reels with images of combat between dwarfs and Amazons. Sorry for those Christians, but at least it was diverting. And wouldn't boxing with spiked gloves make a helluva Pay per View these days?

V-V-Venus

For some unfathomable reason ; )

Venus is a favorite subject of artists.

William Stott — Birth of Venus — 1887

Vision

John Austen — Vision — 1919

Inspirational Watercolor

This is a beautiful, delicate, 1928 watercolor print by Walter E. Webster. I've seen it here and there on the internet (uncropped), but this is the print I've had for a number years that helps to inspire me whenever I start to push watercolors around.

Golden Apples

Here's a tip for any of you guys who need to win a foot race with that fleet-footed goddess you want to marry. Carry some golden apples with you, or be prepared to die.

John D. Batten — Atalanta's Race — 1922

Art Deco Goodness

At first glance, this low bas relief panel seems really busy, and of course it really is, but it's chock-full of Art Deco goodness from 1937.

It was a panel in the dining salon of the French ocean liner, Normandie — and to be specific, in case you're dying to know, the starboard side forward cabin-class. You can view it in person at the Museum of the City of New York.

Mmm. To be an affluent traveler in those days . . .

Mighty Fine

Just a reminder for those who don't always check in on the Ever-Lovin' Blue-Eyed Whirled of Kelly that there's some mighty fine artwork and story-telling going on over there.

While the Kettle Boils

Once again I'm on a tough deadline. For a while, what I post will have minimal explanation. But you're not here for the words, are you?

Harrison Cady — While the Kettle Boils — 1911

Birds and Breezes

Here is another 1930s line drawing that 'translates' a Japanese painting for a children's book, and below it is the original accompanying caption.

Peafowl and Peonies

Love of such beautiful things, of birds and breezes, flowers and trees, moonlight and starlight, is seen in Japanese paintings as well as in their charming little tanka poems of thirty-one syllables and the tiny hokkus of only seventeen syllables. The early poetry of Japan, however, was spirited and war-like in contrast to the peaceful poetry of early China, indicating an essential difference between the two peoples. "The Japanese," said their countryman Yo-ne No-gu-chi, "were from the beginning both poets and warriors."

The internet is amazing. As I was preparing to post the above drawing, I thought I would see if I could find the original painting. The drawing and caption are from a book eighty years old and identifies the painting being at 'Boston Museum'. I googled the museum and within two minutes I'm looking at the painting (albeit low-res). So to compare (and to see that the book's drawing cropped and flopped the image) below is the painting from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

Sô Shizan — 1733-1805

True Leisure and Its Joys

This ink drawing, a translation of the painting, is from a 1930s volume of A Picturesque Tale of Progress.

I've directly quoted the image's caption below, tremendous words of wisdom that we all should take very seriously.

Cultured Chinese Enjoying the Beauties of Winter

(based on a painting at Kyoto)

The proper use of leisure is something that the Western World has never understood. Even in his hours of freedom, the European and American is essentially materialistic, rushing madly from business to social event and strenuous physical activity, then back again, ever tense, ever hurried, ever moving. He knows little of the Easterner's delight in true leisure and its joys—peace, tranquility, vision, serenity, insight, repose and deep feelings richly savored.

Purloined from the Past

Well, the time machine isn't yet perfected for travel.

But, its auxiliary probe HAS been perfected to purloin objects from the past. When you set something down and can't find it a minute later . . . you've probably been probed from the future. Predictably, that action violates temporal laws and after a few minutes the object returns to its time, a short distance from where it was picked up—usually the last place you'd ever think to look for it.

Here it has picked up (with barely enough time to holo-scan) a lady's toiletry travel case from 1916, gorgeously decorated by Gwen White.

Case Top

Case Front

Underside of Case Top (with Vanity Mirror)

Interior Tray Lid

What an Era

This is a lovely publicity photo of Anna Pavlova, the Russian ballerina, displaying her costume for Russian Dance, which she performed in London prezactly 100 years ago. Looks a bit like Cher, I'd say.

What an era the early 20th century was. I'm warming up my time machine.

Assignment

After last post, I received a couple of emails kindly asking me to describe the minor amount of work I did that involved Disney's Bambi.

The assignment was to envision an entrance way for a grand room, depicting the world of Bambi, and to base the architecture on a specific doorway in Prague, which is a city filled with beautiful doorways. I envisioned the lunette as a delicately painted scene of doe and fawn, the surrounding arch a low bas relief of Bambi's friends, and the surrounding area as a diffuse painting of a forest. The heavy door would be carved, and the handle a bronze bird.

Turning in the assignment, I was thanked kindly, paid handsomely, and never heard another word about it. I did a fair bit of more work for them, but asking about the work once it was turned in was frowned upon.

This is the sketch I kept, having delivered a fully rendered drawing.