Heritage to Offer Vargas Masterpieces!

DALLAS, TEXAS: Heritage Galleries and Auctioneers (HG&A) will offer several spectacular paintings by famed illustrator Alberto Vargas in their upcoming auction, to be held November 17 & 18, 2005, in their Dallas, Texas headquarters.

"Few painters have been able to capture the beauty and the sensuality of the female form as effectively as Alberto Vargas," said Ed Jaster, Vice President for HG&A, "whose provocative, yet whimsical paintings, known as 'Vargas Girls,' were mainstays in the pages of Playboy for decades. Vargas brought to the canvas a style that was both powerfully sensual, but at the same time playfully innocent in his representations of idealized women in a variety of poses and situations."

"We're offering several original paintings by the legendary artist in our upcoming Fine and Illustrative Arts auction," Jaster said, "including a piece from the June, 1971 issue of Playboy, one from the September, 1970 issue, and one from the October, 1970 issue. All three paintings perfectly represent the work of this acknowledged master at the top of his form, as they all come from 'The Golden Age of Vargas.'"

"Born in Arequipa, Peru in 1896, Joaquin Alberto Vargas y Chavez came to America in 1916 to pursue a career as an artist," Jaster said. "In the 1940s, he was given a position at Esquire Magazine when famed good-girl artist George Petty left that publication over a pay dispute. Vargas initially copied Petty's style, but eventually grew into his own, and, after leaving Esquire - again, over a financial dispute - Vargas eventually landed the assignment at Playboy that would elevate the already famous artist into a household name. His years at Playboy, from 1960 through 1976, during which time he produced 152 exquisite paintings, are considered by many to be the finest period of his artistic life. Vargas retired from Playboy in 1976 and passed away in 1982."

"Historically, Heritage has seen a very strong response to offerings of original Vargas paintings," said Jaster, "and I expect that trend will continue here. These paintings represent some of the best work ever produced by this modern master, and I'm sure they will be the subject of some heated bidding frenzy."

The Vargas Girl paintings carry pre-auction estimates of $30,000-$40,000 each.

For more information about Heritage's auctions, and a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit HeritageGalleries.com.

Prospective consignors and sellers of top-end illustration and fine art are invited to call Scott Barber at 1-800-872-6467, ext. 521 or Edward Jaster at 1-800-872-6467, ext. 288 to discuss their material. Or visit http://www.HeritageGalleries.com and click on the "Sell Now" tab. Or simply email Scott Barber at SBarber@HeritageGalleries.com or Edward Jaster at EdJ@HeritageGalleries.com.

To reserve your copy of any Heritage auction catalog, please contact Nicole Jewell at 1-800-872-6467, ext. 272, or visit HeritageGalleries.com to order by email.