Dian Hanson - The Art of Pin-Up (Compendium)

A word from the publisher:

Since TASCHEN released The Great American Pin-up, international interest in this distinctly American art form has increased exponentially. Paintings by leading artists such as Alberto Vargas, George Petty, and Gil Elvgren that sold for $ 2,000 in 1996 are going for $ 200,000 and up 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. The majority of original paintings were discarded, making the surviving art that much more precious.

Based on the extraordinarily rich Art of Pin-Up, this edition features nearly 100 artists alongside the ten biggest names in the genre. Each chapter opens with a faithful reproduction of a calendar or magazine cover signed by the creator being discussed. The quality of the reproductions of the paintings - most of which were made from the original work - allows the viewer to appreciate every brushstroke, while the tasty calendars, vintage prints, and photos of the original models illustrate the artists' creative process. Most of these ephemera were photographed at the historic Brown & Bigelow, which houses the world's largest archive of vintage pin-up calendars.

After 10 chapters devoted to the artists featured in this book, the book concludes with biographies and artwork from 85 additional artists, making this the most comprehensive compendium of pin-up designers ever offered. It's hard to beat that!

Multilingual edition: English French, German

More information on the publisher's website here!