Artist Auction Records

Alberto Vargas

Alberto Vargas (1896 - 1982) was active/lived in New York, California.  Alberto Vargas is known for Pin-up girl illustrations.

Alberto Vargas (1896-1982) was born in Arequipa, Peru, in 1896, the son of a successful photographer, and was educated in Switzerland.  Arriving in New York in 1916, he was determined to stay in America and pursue what became an illustrious career.

His name has become synonymous with pin-up girls, but in the early 1940s, he was just a guy hired by Esquire magazine to imitate departed star George Petty, who bolted over pay.  Vargas initially aped Petty's sleek women with their telephone posing and large-hat lounging; soon, however, his own distinctive, delicate watercolor style emerged.  His wide-eyed wonder- women rivaled Betty Grable as the ultimate pin-up girl of World War II.

Vargas, who signed his Esquire work "Varga", had already achieved some notoriety for his Ziegfeld Follies and movie poster art.  But Esquire made him famous, though he was paid poorly and, like Petty, eventually quit.  Legal problems over ow   ...  [Displaying 1000 of 3052 characters.]  Artist bio

Artist auction records

.  askART's database currently holds 648 auction lots for Alberto Vargas (of which 547 auction records sold and 4 are upcoming at auction.)

Artist artworks for sale and wanted

.  There are 0 artworks for sale on our website by galleries and art dealers . There are 4 galleries and art dealers listing works of art by Alberto Vargas as either "Wanted" or "For Sale" .

Research resources

.  askART lists Alberto Vargas in 1 of its research Essays. Alberto Vargas has 36 artist signature examples available in our database.

Similar artists

.  There are 24 similar (related) artists for Alberto Vargas available:    Gil (Gilette) Elvgren,  Rolf Armstrong,  George Petty,  Earl Steffa Moran,  Enoch Bolles,  Fritz Willis,  Peter Driben,  Zoe Mozert,  Haddon Sunny Hubbard Sundblom,  Jessie Willcox Smith,  Hugh Ward,  Patrick Nagel,  Amos Sewell,  Joseph Christian Leyendecker,  Art Frahm,  Edward Runci,  Charles Sheldon,  Leslie Thrasher,  Norman Mills Price,  Olivia De Berardinis,  Norman Blaine Saunders,  Elbert McGran Jackson,  Frank Rudolph Paul,  Robert McGinnis