Gil Elvgren: the father of Pin Ups

Por Paulo Varella - agosto 1, 2012

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Gil Elvgren (March 15, 1914 – February 29, 1980), born Gillette Elvgren, was an American painter of pin-up girls, advertising and illustration. Elvgren was one of the most important artists of pin-ups and glamor of the twentieth century. Today he is best known for his paintings of pin-up for Brown & Bigelow. Elvgren studied at the American Academy of Art.

A. Gillette Elvgren studied at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Then he moved to Chicago to study at the American Academy of Art. And graduated during the Depression, with 22 years of age. Elvgren joined the advertising agency Stevens and Gross, the most prestigious in Chicago. He became a protege of the talented artist, Haddon Sundblom.

Elvgren was a classic American illustrator. He was a master at portraying the American feminine ideal, but he was not limited to industry demand pin-up. He was strongly influenced by the early “pretty girl” illustrators, such as Charles Dana Gibson, Andrew Loomis, and Howard Chandler Christy. Other influences included the Brandywine School founded by Howard Pyle.

In 1937, Gil began painting calendar pin-ups for Louis F. Dow, a leading publication in America, during which he created about 60 works. By 1944, Gil was approached by Brown and Bigelow, a company that still dominates the field in producing calendars and advertising specialties. He was associated with Brown and Bigelow from 1945 until 1972.

Elvgren was a commercial success. His clients ranged from Brown and Bigelow and Coca-Cola to General Electric and Sealy Mattress Company. Moreover, during the 1940s and 1950s he illustrated stories for a number of magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post and Good Housekeeping.