Product Description

Post-depression America was in desperate need of a defining iconography that would lift it out of the black and white doldrums, and it came in the form of Gil Elvgren's Technicolor fantasies of the American dream. His technique - which earned him a reputation as "The Norman Rockwell of cheesecake" - involved photographing models and then painting them into gorgeous hyper-reality, with longer legs, more flamboyant hair and gravity-defying busts, and in the process making them the perfect moral-boosting eye-candy for every homesick private.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7714 in Books
• Published on: 2008-03-25
• Original language: French, German, English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 271 pages

Review
"Glamour is back... TASCHEN offers us a look back at these calendar and advertisement goddesses of which Gil Elvgren is king." erotisme-fr.com, France"

About the Author
Louis K. Meisel is owner and manager of one of the oldest contemporary art galleries in Soho, New York. He has published monographs on Charles Bell and Richard Estes, as well as the books Photorealism and Photorealism Since 1980. Charles G. Martignette is an art dealer, art historian, journalist, and writer. Pictures from his collection have been exhibited in the Smithsonian Institution as well as many other American and European museums.

Customer Reviews

A great reference for Gil's work
This is a good size book, nicely bound and printed on good quality paper - glossy but not too glossy. The book is all about the art. There is surprisingly just about 30 pages of text, and even that is strewn with example of Elvgren's work (plus a few by those whose work he admired). At the back of the book, the text appears again in French and German.

While it is easy to describe Elvgren's work in light-weight terms such as "cheesecake", much of his work consisted of advertisements for major companies, calendars, magazine covers, illustrations and various other commissions. He was a master of his craft, a seriously capable portrait artist. His ability to capture the shape and character of male and female form with verve and fluidity is remarkable.

I have a personal interest in portraiture, and bought this book purely as a reference. It is certainly a useful way to get a closer look at his technique and use of colour.

superb!
a truley wonderful book, glorious images and an absolute must for anyone interedted in the period, pinups and art in general. to me elvgren is the absolute leader in this field, a fabulous artist and a real treat for the eyes!

Like Gil Elgren ? . . . then buy this book
I`m a fan of Gil Elvgren so I can`t say anything bad about this book . . it has almost every picture he produced . . to me he was a genius . . one of a kind . . no one done it better