I am pleased to be able to offer this wonderful original watercolor painted by the great world renowned Peruvian artist Alberto Vargas. This painting is not a print and not an original page out of a calendar – this is an original watercolor painted by the artist himself. Very rare and hard to find.

This piece is not in the traditional Vargas “pin up” style, but instead is considered a “set design.” It is believed to have been painted in the late 1920’s or early 1930’s during Vargas’ association with Florenz Ziegfield. It may have been a set proposal for Ziegfeld’s Follies or perhaps a design for another project that may or may not have been accepted.

Based on my research, it is also possible that this was painted during Vargas’s association with Hollywood. According to the Cigar Aficianado bio: “The 1930’s were the era of Art Deco and Hollywood glamour queens, and Vargas was swept up into both. His illustrations of the period have a definite Art Deco look, and in 1934, Twentieth Century Fox Movie Studios brought the Vargases out to Hollywood. He painted portraits of Fox’s leading women and men, helped design movie sets and painted renditions or direct portraits of Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Dorothy Lamour, Paulette Goddard, Barbara Stanwyck and even the child star Shirley Temple.” This piece certainly offer a different perspective into the young Vargas’ style and talent.

Below are details of this piece:

This piece was in the collection of a man in Lima, Peru whose uncle was a member of the Peruvian Parliament. During his diplomatic career, he had the opportunity to meet and befriend the great Alberto Vargas. This painting will be accompanied by a Letter of Provanance explaining it’s history and how the seller acquired it as well as 2 pictures of Vargas.

Since I am directly representing the seller, this piece is being offered at a very reasonable price. If it was being sold through a gallery, obviously it would be at least double the price.

A Vargas original titled “Trick or Treat” (1967) from the Playboy archives sold at auction in 2003 for a record $71,000. His originals are very rare and very sought after.

I guarantee the authenticity of this paintings 100%. In fact, I recently sold 8 other Vargas originals from the same seller to one individual and he is delighted with the pieces. This is a rare opportunity indeed.

* To read a short biography of Vargas according to Wikipedia, click here

* To read the Cigar Aficianado biography of Vargas, click here

This piece is watercolor and pencil and painted on sturdy card stock. Due to being stored in the humid climate of Peru for the past 50 years, it is showing signs of light mold or “foxing.” (Foxing is the term that describes the stains, spots or blotches on old papers or documents which doesn’t affect the integrity of the paper. The name “Foxing” is believed to come from the fox-like reddish-brown color of the stains.) This piece can be restored by a paper conservator at a cost of approx. $300-500 or it can easily be enjoyed as is.

This piece as well as 3 others can be viewed in the West Suburban Washington D.C. area. Free insured shipping within the Continental US. International shipping is extra.