Original Antique Americana Silver Screen Gouache Illustration Painting Vilma Banky Ronald Colman The Two Lovers JC Leyendecker Manner 1929

Golden Age Illustration painting on woven paper, approximately 1928, in gouache, in the manner of Joseph C Leyendecker. Painting subject depicting a portrait of silent silver stars Ronald Colman and Vilma Banky in the film "Two Lovers" released in 1927, produced by Sam Goldwyn. (One of a series of films with the Banky and Colman teaming in film, during this era) The illustration exhibits Leyendecker's style and signature navy background. Banky's relaxed pose, seductive eyes with elongated lashes, languid expression, and kewpie doll pout, are very much present in the artist's other figural portraits.


Other artists in this specific genre of subjects, were:

Henry O'Hara Clive, Batiste Madalena, James Montgomery, Howard Chandler Christy, Clarence Underwood, Jack Shelton, Arthur William Brown, Harry Morse Myers, Mr. and Mrs. James William Preston, Orson Lowell. Norman Rockwell. Coles Phillips, Charles Dana Gibson, Will Crete, and Irma Dermeaux.


Manner of Joseph C Leyendecker
Americana, Golden Age Illustration
Vilma Banky, Ronald Colman
The Two Lovers
Film Release 1928 (also estimated approximate age of painting)
Produced by Samuel Goldwyn Studios (in the US)
UK Release 1929
Graphite, Gouache, on Paper

Ref:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0019501/mediaviewer/rm3261925120

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0019501/mediaviewer/rm802750464



Prints were made of this painting, promoting the film, with a bold typeface on the bottom edge, "The Two Lovers", was very similar, however, was a print of a tinted photograph.


Ref: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0019501/mediaviewer/rm328272384



***This painting was to specifically promote the UK release in 1929, by Allied Artists.****


The artist Batiste Madalena studied with influential advertising artist J. C. Leyendecker at the Mechanics Institute of Rochester, in the United States, and was an artist for cinema of the 1920s; including Sam Goldwyn's-Mayer's Russian melodrama, "The Cossacks".

Regarding the MOMA exhibition of Batiste Madalena's art paintings made into posters for film advertising/artwork:

"The Madalena posters in this exhibition are rare examples of exhibitor-commissioned film advertising. Often his work falls within the familiar traditions of motion picture advertising: targeting audiences of men (Old Ironsides) or women (Upstage), highlighting genres like melodrama (The Kid Brother) or comedy (Clothes Make the Pirate), and using color to communicate the mood of a film—fiery orange for the passionate The Loves of Carmen and blue for the somber prison drama The Noose. In other instances, Madalena surprises with the decorative abstraction (The Thundering Herd), silhouette effects (A Thief in Paradise), counterintuitive humor (The Cossacks), and the witty blending of paint and collage (The Freshman). His restrictive, geometric motif for the tragic Variety and his choice of the color pink for the dinosaur adventure The Lost World seem avant-garde in the context of early motion picture advertising. Throughout his work, Madalena’s skill at freehand lettering is evident."

Ref: https://www.moma.org/documents/moma_press-release_387160.pdf


Golden Age Illustration Painting possibly published in Saturday Evening Post, Screen Play, Theatre, Picture Play Magazine, Photoplay Magazine, or Screenland.

The size of the entire paper is 13"X 20", bordered by painting. Actual painting size 11.3"X19"
Original, in the manner of Joseph Leyendecker's painting, is in good condition.
The signature is not found/is not legible, therefore the painting is listed as an attribution in the manner, style, and era of Joseph C Leyendecker, or close contemporary; one of the more prominent early artists associated with the school of American Golden Age Illustration artists.

There is a tear on the right side, about 2.5"; shows a bit. The image is taken up close, to show. Some remnants of the former matte, which was damaged, and removed, remain along some of the borders. The back of the painting's light board is still present, as seen protecting the painting. The painting is not attached to the backboard; it is simply to protect the painting and preserve part of the original framing. (The damaged frame was removed, and the illustration has no frame, or matte, only the backboard). The lower left portion has some tiny speckles of missing paint/very light abrasion. A tiny speckle of paint was lost to the left of Vilma Banky. None of these detract but should be mentioned for quality assurance. Please review all images.
The painting will be professionally packed, with insurance, signature confirmation, and a tracking number provided to the purchaser.

This painting was featured on History Channel's "Pawn Stars" episode, "Eye of the Tiger", premiered Thursday, November 5th, 2015.

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