Its Nothing To Sneeze At
Its Nothing To Sneeze At door Gil Elvgren (1914 – 1980), one of the most celebrated American illustrators of the 20th century. This piece exemplifies the vibrant and engaging style that made Elvgren famous, combining humor, sensualiteit, and a touch of glamour.
Geboren in 1914, Elvgren’s career spanned much of the 20th century, and he is best known for his pin-up art, a genre that defined much of mid-century American illustration. His use of color, licht, and playful narratives in his work set a hallmark for advertisements, tijdschriften, and calendars throughout the era.
The painting portrays a young woman seated with her feet in a basin of mustard, a remedy that would have been familiar to many of Elvgren’s audience as a common cure for ailments such as colds or aches. Echter, this domestic scene is not without a touch of humor and playful irony.
The woman’s facial expression suggests both frustration and curiosity about the situation, amplifying the lighthearted tone of the artwork. Haar houding, with one knee raised and the other foot submerged in the mustard bath, directs the viewer’s attention to the woman’s figure in an elegant yet comical way.
Inhoudsopgave
Het belangrijkste onderwerp
De centrale figuur binnen It’s Nothing To Sneeze At is a young woman dressed in a vibrant blue robe. The robe, adorned with a delicate pink trim, is loosely draped over her form, adding an element of seductiveness without being overtly revealing. Her strawberry blonde hair is styled in a vintage updo, giving her an air of classic 1950s beauty, further emphasizing her timeless femininity.
Her posture is slightly awkward, adding to the narrative of the scene: she is trying to find relief from an ailment, and her uncertain expression, combined with the mundane but uncomfortable treatment, invites both empathy and humor from the viewer. The angle at which she sits, with her legs crossed and one foot submerged, creates an intimate yet comical moment in a domestic setting.
De setting en objecten
Behind the figure, a table is placed, atop which rests a small collection of items: a bottle of whiskey, a glass, and what seems to be a medicinal bottle, perhaps a cure or tonic to accompany her treatment.
These objects reinforce the domestic, private nature of the scene, but they also point to the time period’s typical imagery, where relaxation and health remedies were often portrayed as part of a woman’s role in maintaining a household. The bottle of whiskey also suggests the idea of indulgence or comfort, playing into the classic visual codes of 1950s Americana.
The most significant object, echter, is the mustard box in the woman’s hand. She is in the process of pouring mustard into the basin of water, an action that is at once comical and relatable. Mustard baths were considered an old-fashioned remedy, but its inclusion here is both playful and nostalgic, reinforcing the humorous undertones of the painting. The mustard itself is represented in rich, bold yellow, providing a striking contrast to the otherwise soft color palette of the scene.
The backdrop of the painting features an abstract fan-like design, reminiscent of a 1950s Art Deco influence. This geometric pattern not only frames the figure but also adds a sense of dynamism to the otherwise calm scene. The fan-like design could be interpreted as a subtle nod to the popular aesthetic of the mid-20th century, reinforcing the painting’s roots in its time period.
De stemming en het thema
It’s Nothing To Sneeze At is a study in juxtaposition. On the surface, it portrays a typical domestic scene: a woman at home, relaxing, and attending to her health. Echter, Elvgren infuses the painting with humor and lightheartedness, turning an ordinary moment into something more playful and inviting. The title itself suggests a double entendre, “sneeze” evoking the common cold or sickness, but also potentially pointing to the comical situation the woman finds herself in.
The mood is decidedly light and fun. The woman’s facial expression, a mix of slight bemusement and embarrassment, encourages the viewer to smile in sympathy, as if sharing in her mild misfortune. The use of bright colors, such as the woman’s blue robe and the yellow mustard, creates a lively contrast that enhances the playful nature of the scene. There is a sense of immediacy in the moment, as if the viewer has just walked into this woman’s world and is witnessing a brief, humorous episode in her daily life.
Style and Materials
In terms of artistic style, Elvgren’s brushwork is smooth and refined, with a clear focus on realism. The rendering of the woman’s skin, haar, and robe is done with great attention to detail, creating a lifelike quality that makes the scene all the more relatable. His use of lighting is strategic, highlighting the woman’s figure and bringing out the warmth in her skin tone.
Shadows are carefully placed to suggest volume and depth, adding to the overall realism of the piece. The background, by contrast, is more simplified and abstract, allowing the figure to stand out as the primary focal point.
The materials used in the painting are typical of Elvgren’s oeuvre: oil paints, applied in layers to build texture and richness. The medium’s fluidity allows for a smooth, polished finish that enhances the glamour of the subject while allowing for subtle details like the gloss of the mustard and the reflective surfaces of the bottles on the table.
It’s Nothing To Sneeze At is a remastered digital art old masters reproduction of a public domain image that is available as a canvas print online.
Bio van kunstenaar afgeleid van Wikipedia.org
Gillette A. Elvgren werd geboren in St. Paul, Minnesota, en ging naar de University High School. Na het afstuderen, hij begon kunst te studeren aan het Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
Later verhuisde hij naar Chicago om te studeren aan de American Academy of Art, en studeerde af aan de Academie tijdens de grote depressie, op tweeëntwintigjarige leeftijd.
Na zijn afstuderen trad Elvgren toe tot de artiestenstal bij Stevens en Gross, Chicago's meest prestigieuze reclamebureau, en werd een beschermeling van de kunstenaar Haddon Sundblom.
In 1937, Gil begon kalenderpin-ups te schilderen voor Louis F. Dow, een van Amerika's toonaangevende uitgeverijen, gedurende welke tijd hij ongeveer 60 pin-up girl werkt op 22″ × 28″ canvas en onderscheidt ze door een gedrukte handtekening.
Veel van zijn pin-ups werden gereproduceerd als neuskunst op militaire vliegtuigen tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog; en het was rond deze tijd in 1944, dat Elvgren werd benaderd door de Brown and Bigelow Publishing Company; een bedrijf dat nog steeds het veld domineert in het produceren van kalenders, reclamespecialiteiten en promotionele merchandise.
Het volgende jaar vanaf 1945 tot 1972, Elvgren werd geassocieerd met de Brown & Bigelow uitgeverij, en begon te werken met 24 centimeter bij 30 inch doeken, een formaat dat hij zou gebruiken voor de volgende 30 jaren, en ondertekende zijn werk in cursief.
Elvgren was een commercieel succes. Hij woonde op verschillende locaties, en was actief van de jaren '30 tot de jaren '70. In 1951 hij begon te schilderen in een studio in zijn huis, dan in Winnetka, Illinois, een assistent gebruiken om verlichting in te stellen, bouw rekwisieten en scènes, foto sets, en zijn verven voorbereiden.
Tot zijn klanten behoorden bekende bedrijven als Brown en Bigelow, Cokes, General Electric en de Sealy Mattress Company, om er een paar te noemen. Daarnaast, in de jaren veertig en vijftig illustreerde hij verhalen voor tal van tijdschriften, zoals The Saturday Evening Post en Good Housekeeping.
Onder de modellen en Hollywood-legendes die Elvgren tijdens zijn carrière schilderde, was Myrna Hansen, Donna Reed, Barbara Hale, Arlene Dahl, Lola Albright en Kim Novak.