GEORGE PETTY (1894-1975) TITLED THE COCKTAIL HOUR 1934, LARGE 1985 PIN-UP GRAPHICS ART DECO LITHOGRAPH, 30IN x 40IN (76cm x 102cm)

Inventory #: 26-750 - $700.00

Offer here is a striking, large-format George Petty (American, 1894–1975) pin-up print featuring his celebrated composition “The Cocktail Hour,” originally created in 1934, presented here in a large 1985 edition published by Pin-Up Graphics. The Cocktail Hour is an especially engaging example of Petty's work. A glamorous blonde in evening attire reclines dramatically in the arms of her handsome companion as the couple kisses, champagne glasses incorporated into the wonderfully theatrical composition. Petty's characteristic elongated figure, elegant high heels and polished rendering combine with an expansive minimalist background to create an image that is simultaneously romantic, humorous and unmistakably Art Deco-era American glamour. Printed inscription beneath the composition reads The Cocktail Hour by George Petty 1934, with Petty's signature reproduced within the image at right. Lower margin bears © 1985 PIN-UP GRAPHICS, identifying this as a later publication of Petty's classic 1934 composition rather than an original 1934 impression. On the verso, this print bears the oval collector’s stamp of George Zorin, a respected New York dealer, specializing in Old Master and 19th-century prints. Zorin’s holdings, built over several decades, are widely recognized in the American print trade, and his stamp provides reassuring provenance for works on paper from this period. This piece is double matted and framed under acrylic in a gold frame. With frame, it measures 30 inches x 40 inches. George Petty (American, 1894–1975) was one of the most influential American illustrators of the Golden Age of pin-up art, celebrated for the glamorous women popularly known as the “Petty Girls.” His sophisticated, playful imagery helped define the visual language of American glamour illustration during the 1930s and 1940s and remains highly recognizable among collectors of vintage illustration, pin-up art, advertising and Americana.