Alberto Vargas (Peruvian/American, 1896-1982). Jeanne Dean. Watercolor and pencil on board. 21-1/2 x 16 inches (54.6 x 4...

Description

Alberto Vargas (Peruvian/American, 1896-1982)
Jeanne Dean
Watercolor and pencil on board
21-1/2 x 16 inches (54.6 x 40.6 cm) (image)
Signed lower right

According to noted Vargas scholar, Theron Kabrich, this work was part of the original retrospective by the artist's estate in 1985 at the San Francisco Art Exchange. This work was purchased by its current owner during this event. This particular work Vargas framed and hung in his home for many years. Jeanne Dean was painted in 1946 prior to Vargas' 12 Legacy Nudes; an inspiration for the Legacy Nudes, and all were kept together in his personal collection according to nephew Max Vargas. "I'm sure you already know the place Jeanne has in Alberto's legacy. This particular piece is a classic composition, a portrait of his most influential model aside from his wife, Anna Mae. It is not a pin-up per se but a classic approach to a nude as all artists who preceded him, but none produced such a subject in watercolor. It's not only an homage to a close friend but to the history of paintings of the nude, to technical excellence in a medium, even via the tactile characteristics of a 1940's hairstyle. Jeanne, by the way, would have posed for this painting several years after her pin-up appearances in Esquire. She is a young woman in this work. "


More information about Alberto Vargas. See also: Vargas, Alberto Artist.



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