Petty, George
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Wikipedia-Article "George Petty"
George Petty (1894-04-27-1975) was an American pin-up artist. His pin-up art appeared primarily in Esquire and Fawcett Publications's True and was also seen widely in calendars marketed by Esquire, True and Ridge Tool Company. Petty's Esquire gatefolds originated and popularized the magazine device of fold-out centerfolds.
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Early life
George Brown Petty IV was born in Abbeville, Louisiana on April 27, 1894 to George Brown Petty III and his wife, Sarah. George was the couple's second child; his sister Elizabeth was born in 1891.
The Petty family moved to Chicago, Illinois just before the turn of the century, where George III, a photographer of some note, enjoyed considerable success. Today, it's possible to find his photographs of young women, madonnas, and nudes anywhere from coast to coast.
Education
George was not a particularly good student in high school. He spent a great deal of time on extracurricular activities instead of schoolwork, and just barely squeezed through. His artistic bent first became obvious during his high school education, where he was the staff artist for the school newspaper.
During his high school years, George enrolled in evening classes at Chicago's Art Institute. Also during his high school years, George displayed his business acumen. He set up his own art course, charging classmates $5.00 per session.
During his summers, George worked in his father's photo shop, where he learned how to use an airbrush.
After his graduation from high school, George studied art at the Académie Julian. He stayed there, studying with Jean-Paul Laurens and others, until 1916, when World War I caused Joseph P. Herrick, ambassador at that time, to order all Americans to return home.
Artistic influences
George Petty never discussed in detail those artists that influenced him, other than J. C. Leyendecker (an artist for The Saturday Evening Post during George's high school days) for his interpretation of men, Coles Phillips for his technique, and Maxfield Parrish for his use of light. However, it can be inferred from his later work that other influences included those artists who were extremely popular in Paris at the time, such as Alfons Mucha, George Barbier, and , in particular, the watercolor technique of England's Russell Flint.
Sources
Reid Stewart Austin (The Best of Gil Elvgren) examined the life and art of George Petty in the 192-page Petty: The Classic Pin-Up Art of George Petty. Published by Gramercy in 1997, the lavish volume features a foreword by Hugh Hefner and an introductory essay by Petty's daughter, Marjorie Petty, who was his main model. In The New York Times Book Review famed designer George Lois praised this collection of Petty's creamy creations, commenting, "Just as the cool, unapproachable Gibson Girl was the feminine ideal of young men at the turn of the century, the voluptuous Petty Girl became the ideal of their wide-eyed sons. I'm going on the record to swear that George Brown Petty IV consistently created better-designed women than God, and now I've got a big beautiful book to prove it.
Robert Cummings portrayed George Petty in the biographical musical comedy The Petty Girl (Columbia, 1950), directed by Henry Levin and featuring the film debut of Tippi Hedren as one of the Petty Girls. Nat Perrin's screenplay was based on a story by Mary McCarthy. The film is also notable for several lilting, lighthearted songs composed by Harold Arlen (music) and Johnny Mercer (lyrics), including "Fancy Free" and "I Loves Ya." The large production number at the finale is "The Petty Girl" by Arlen and Mercer, performed by Joan Caulfield (dubbed by Carole Richards), the Petty Girls and a male quartet.