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| Legacy Nude 4 |
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| Lady in Red |
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| Legacy Nude 8 |
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Alberto Vargas has always been associated with the cutting edge giants who adored the American woman. The Peruvian-born artist began his career in the United States as the official painter for the Ziegfeld Follies from 1919 to 1934. After his Ziegfeld years, Alberto moved to Hollywood where he was employed as an artist by various movie studios until 1940, when he was hired to replace pinup artist George Petty at Esquire magazine. Apart from gracing the pages of Esquire magazine from 1940 until 1947, his flawless watercolor and airbrushed Varga Girls adorned aircrafts, ships, and even uniform jackets of the US servicemen during the World War II era. The late 1950s marked the debut of the 'Vargas Girls' in the pages of Playboy Magazine. Beginning in 1960 until 1976, Alberto's Vargas Girls regularly graced the pages of Playboy as a monthly feature. Both the 'Varga' and the 'Vargas' girls are included among the most recognizable cultural icons of the 20th century.
First appearing in Esquire magazine in September 1941, "Lady in Red" reminds us of the carefree times that existed in this country before America entered World War II. The unique style of her striking red dress - a complete improvisation by Vargas - would have been the envy of any of her contemporaries. Although references might be made to Betty Grable, this painting was completed prior to her famous long-legged pin-up poster.
This was published in an edition of 100 prints plus proofs on opalesque paper, and 200 prints plus proofs on arches paper. The print has the trademark protected signature silkscreened on the print.
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