CHARLES GATES SHELDON (1889 - 1961)

Images and text from: lewiswaynegallery

 CHARLES GATES SHELDON (1889 - 1961)

 

CHARLES GATES SHELDON (1889 - 1961) was a prolific and gifted early 1900's American Illustrator who specialized in "pretty woman" themed cover portraiture and advertising in the Art Nouveau and Edwardian styles. After studying at the Art Students League, he went to Paris to study under the legendary Alphonse Mucha. He returned to America and set up a studio at Carnegie Hall in New York City. He went on to do a series of work for the Fox Shoe Company as well as front covers for Collier's Magazine, The Saturday Evening Post and Photoplay. The pastels he created for Photoplay 1925-1930 launched his career as a portrait cover artist. During this time period most of the stars sat three or four times for each of these portraits. Later came cover art commissions for Screenland, Movie Classic and Radio Digest magazines. In 1936, Breck Shampoo asked Sheldon to develop a national ad campaign and the ever-successful "Breck Girl" advertisements were born. Sheldon is known to have created 109 portraits for them until his retirement in the late 1950's.

This original pencil illustration art was done for the Women's Home Companion magazine, and is dated January 1922 and entitled "Prize-Winning Dress." The art is in generally very good condition with some edge wear with small chips out and rounded corners, none of which affects the artwork. This piece has an overall size of 22.5" x 29"