Alberto Vargas (9 February 1896 – 30 December 1982) was a noted painter of pin-up girls and erotica. Born in Arequipa, Peru, Joaquin Alberto Vargas y Chavez came to the United States in 1916 after studying art in Europe prior to World War I. His early career included work as an artist for the Ziegfeld Follies and for many Hollywood studios. He became famous in the 1940s as the creator of iconic World War II era pin-ups for Esquire magazine known as "Varga Girls." The nose art of many World War II aircraft was adapted from these Esquire pin-ups.
A legal dispute with Esquire magazine over the use of the name "Varga" resulted in a judgment against Vargas and he struggled financially until the 1960s when Playboy magazine began to use his work as "Vargas Girls." His career flourished and he had major exhibitions of his work all over the world. The death of his wife Anna Mae in 1974 left him devastated and he stopped painting. The publication of his autobiography in 1978 renewed interest in his work and brought him partially out of his self-imposed retirement to do a few works such as album covers for Bernadette Peters and the Cars. He died of a stroke on Dec. 30, 1982, at the age of 86.
Many of Vargas’ works from his period with Esquire are now held by the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas, which was given those works in 1980 along with a large body of other art from Esquire Magazine.Alberto Vargas and the Esquire Pinup Stephen Goddard, Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas
His work was typically a combination of watercolor and airbrush. His mastery of the airbrush is acknowledged by the fact that the highest achievement in the community of airbrush artistry is the Vargas Award, awarded annually by Airbrush Action Magazine. His images would often portray elegantly dressed, semi-nude to nude women of idealized proportions. Vargas's artistic trait would be slender fingers and toes, the nails of which were often painted red.
Vargas is widely regarded as one of the finest artists in his genre. In addition to his work as an artist, he also served as a judge for the Miss Universe beauty contest in 1956-58.Pageant Almanac of the Miss Universe Pageant
See also
- Pin-up girl
- List of pinup artists
References
- Alberto Vargas: Works from the Max Vargas Collection, by Reid Stewart Austin, Hugh Hefner. 144pp (2006) (ISBN 978-0821257920).
- Vargas, by Reid Austin and Alberto Vargas. 127 pp. (1978) (ISBN 0-517-530473 ) (autobiography).
- Varga. The Esquire Years. A catalogue Raisonne. 176 pp (1987) (ISBN 0-912383-48-8 ).
- The Great American Pin-Up, by Charles G. Martignette and Louis K. Meisel, ISBN 3-8228-1701-5
- Vargas, by Benedikt Taschen, text by Astrid Conte. 79 pp. (1990) (ISBN 3-89450-063-8).
External links
Other pages about Peruvian-Americans
-Alberto Vargas -Alexis Amore -Arthur Chin -Benjamin Bratt -Boris Vallejo -Carlos Bustamante -Carlos I. Noriega -Daniel Alarcon -Daniella Alonso -Fortuna Calvo-Roth -Gabriela Lena Frank -Ginger Reyes -Gloria Alexandra -Immortal Technique -Jose Valdivia, Jr. -Juan Bandini -Kathleen Herles -Lorenzo O'Brien -Marie Arana -Peruvian American -Q'Orianka Kilcher
Other pages about Peruvian painters
-Adolfo Winternitz -Alberto Vargas -Boris Vallejo -Carlos Enrique Polanco -Carlos Morales (artist) -Daniel Hernandez (painter) -Diego Quispe Tito -Eduardo Tokeshi -Fernando de Szyszlo -Hugo Orellana Bonilla -Ignacio Merino -Jorge Vinatea Reinoso -Jose Sabogal -Josue Sanchez -Mario Urteaga Alvarado -Pablo Amaringo
Other pages about Peruvian people
-Alberto Vargas -Alejandro Toledo -Alfredo Salazar Southwell -Alvaro Vargas Llosa -Antauro Humala -Augusto B. Leguia -Beto Ortiz -Carlos Enrique Polanco -Carlos Ferrero -Cayetano Heredia -Cesar Vallejo -Cesar Ychikawa -Chabuca Granda -Christian Meier -Daniel Alcides Carrion -David Waisman -Eliane Karp -Erasmo Wong -Fernando Zevallos -Francisco Antonio De Zela -Francisco Garcia Calderon -Fulvia Celica Siguas Sandoval -Gabriela Bazan -Gabriela Perez del Solar -Gaston Acurio -Gisela Valcarcel -Gustavo Gorriti -Humberto Lay -Jaime Bayly -Jesus Zamudio Aliaga -Jorge Chavez (jockey) -Jose Maria Eguren -Jose Quinones Gonzales -Jose Santos Chocano -Juliane Kopcke -Julio Granda -Lady Bardales -Limberg Chero Ballena -Lina Medina -List of Peruvians -Lorenzo O'Brien -Luis Castaneda Lossio -Madeleine Hartog Bell -Manuel Quimper -Manuel de Mendiburu -Mar de Copas -Marco Aurelio Denegri -Maria Julia Mantilla -Martha Chavez -Martin Chambi -Mateo Pumacahua -Milagros Cerron -Nolberto Solano -Patty Wong -Pedro Pablo Kuczynski -Pietro Sibille -Pilar Mazzetti -Rafael Bejarano -Raul Porras Barrenechea -Remigio Morales Bermudez -Ricardo Belmont Cassinelli -Richiardi Jr -Santiago Magill -Sofia Mulanovich -Ulises Humala -Valentin Paniagua -Vanessa Jeri
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