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JOHN GROTH.
Action! * “Jockey Room at Belmont Park.”Together, 2 illustrations. Ink and watercolor
on thick paper. The first, 432x660 mm; 17x26 inches with wide (3-inch) margins. The
second, 432x635 mm; 17x24
inches. Both signed in lower left
image, the second dated 1947,
with penciled notations on verso.
Light soiling in margins.
[600/900]
Groth (1908-1988) was the first
Art Director of Esquire. Before that
position, he served as a WWII
correspondent and spent much of his
time with Ernest Hemingway. His
peculiar loose gestural style was
described by Hemingway in the
introduction to Groth’s book,“Studio:
Europe” (NewYork:Vanguard Press,
1945): “None of us understood the
sort of shorthand he sketched in.The
men would look at the sketches and
see just a lot of lines. It was a great
pleasure to find what fine drawings
they were when we got to see them.”
Groth was inducted into the Society
of Illustrators Hall of Fame in 2004.
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JOHN GANNAM.
“Heck! If you’ve come here for an apology
you won’t get it.” [published caption.]
Illustration for “One Star by Night” by
Ernest Haycox, published in the December
11, 1937 issue of
Collier’s
magazine. Gouache
on board. 660x381 mm; 26x15 inches. Signed
“Gannam” in lower image and inscribed “To
my good friendWilliam Magner, from John
Gannam” in lower left image. Dampstain,
light craquelure (mainly to sections of white),
pinholes in margins, board toned, tape from
prior mounting on verso.
[400/600]
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