Haddon Hubbard Sundblom (American, 1899-1976). Sea Worthy, 1958. Oil on canvas. 34 x 27 inches (86.4 x 68.6 cm). Signed ...

Description

Haddon Hubbard Sundblom (American, 1899-1976)
Sea Worthy, 1958
Oil on canvas
34 x 27 inches (86.4 x 68.6 cm)
Signed center left

Property from the Louis and Susan Meisel Collection

Sea Worthy is one of Haddon Sundblom's most expressive and beloved pin-up pieces, which appeared as part of Sylvania Electric's historic Miss Sylvania series, and as an advertising calendar for Burd Pistons-leading the work to also be known as Miss Burd.

Sundblom is best-remembered as the creator of the Coca-Cola Santa Claus and mentor to Gil Elvgren. The strong comparisons between Elvgren and Sundblom are clear in this work. Sundblom perfected the lush, wet-on-wet painting style known as the mayonnaise technique that both artists employed to create the soft and glowing effect that both artists utilized to give pin-up figures warmth, volume, and immediacy. The technique is masterfully on display here, making Sea Worthy an unparalleled treasure for any pin-up collector.

The work appears as figure 786 in The Great American Pin-Up by Charles G. Martignette and Louis K. Meisel (Taschen, 1996) and also as a color plate on page 32 in The Art of Pin-Up by Dian Hanson with Louis K. Meisel and Sarahjane Blum (Taschen, 2014).


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