Lucky 13

I don't have time to go looking for it right now, but I'm wagering that there's a Vargas painting that was the basis for this babe on the cover of a motorcycle mag from a few years ago. Seems she ought to be on the side of a bomber more than a cycle.

Inspiration

Inspiration is where you find it. Here retro illustrator Robert Rodriguez found it in an old Vargas painting and paid homage to it on the cover of Gorgeously Green by Sophie Uliano. It's very cool how he modernized it and made his adjustments to the pose.

Robert Rodriguez

Alberto Vargas

the cover

Interesting Ephemera

You never know what you'll find when you go through old family papers.

I finally got around to organizing some of my dad's papers that my mom had been holding onto since just after World War II (!). Among other interesting ephemera were these two calendar pages, created by Varga, pressed neatly between my dad's discharge papers.

Oh yes, these paintings have been reproduced all over the net and in books, but these particular pages haven't seen the light of day for some 65 years. They are maybe my favorite Varga pin-ups, partly because of their sweet and innocent sexiness, and partly because my dad chose to save them even though the war and its aftermath kept him plenty busy.

The Girl You Love to Look At

This beauty surfaced from the swimsuit file in my pictorial morgue. From May, 1941, this ad illustrated by Esquire's Alberto Vargas ran in Life magazine, reaching millions of households . . . and that's how some artists became household names.

Photo Reference

I love comparing artists' work with their source material. Alberto Vargas painted this publicity portrait of the Ukrainian-born actress Anna Sten. The photo reference is a work of art in itself.