GILBERT ADRIAN ESTATE - SIGNED DRAWING 1939 - METRO - GOLDWYN - MAYER - 3
Item History & Price
Reference Number: Avaluer:12533725 | Modified Item: No |
Original/Reproduction: Original | Country/Region of Manufacture: United States |
ORIGINAL 1939 GILBERT ADRIAN DRAWING FEATURING COLORFUL HISPANIC MAN.
SIGNED - LOWER RIGHT CORNER - "ADRIAN" IN ARTIST'S LEAD PENCIL.ALSO "MEXICO - GUADALAJARA" PENCIL NOTATION UPPER LEFT CORNER.
DESCRIPTION:A RARE, ORIGINAL DRAWING CREATED BY METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER'S PREMIERE FASHION DESIGNER GILBERT ADRIAN WHILE HE AND HIS WIFE (JANET GAYNOR) WERE VACATIONING IN MEXICO.
DETAILS:DRAWING ACCOMPLISHED - AND SIGNED - IN ARTIS...T'S SOFT PENCIL W/VIVID WATERCOLOR ACCENTS ON ARTIST'S DRAWING PAPER.
ADRIAN'S ORIGINAL DRAWING PORTFOLIO OF MEXICAN ART RENDERINGS WAS PERSONALLY GIFTED TO ME (JAMES L. TUMBLIN) BY JANET GAYNOR.
MEASUREMENTS:12" x 18"
CONDITION: VINTAGE - MINOR MARGIN DISCOLORATION NOT AFFECTING IMAGE - OTHERWISE VERY FINE!
HISTORY:ADRIAN ADOLPH GREENBERG, WIDELY KNOWN AS "ADRIAN" WAS AN AMERICAN COSTUME DESIGNER WHOSE FAMOUS COSTUMES WERE FOR "THE WIZARD OF OZ" AND HUNDREDS OF METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER FILMS BETWEEN 1928 AND 1941. HE WAS CREDITED ONSCREEN WITH THE PHRASE "GOWNS BY ADRIAN". EARLY IN HIS CAREER HE CHOSE THE PROFESSIONAL NAME "GILBERT ADRIAN", A COMBINATION OF HIS FATHER'S FORENAME AND HIS OWN.
ADRIAN WAS BROUGHT TO HOLLYWOOD IN NOVEMBER 1924 BY RUDOLPH VALENTINO'S WIFE NATACHA RAMBOVA TO DESIGN COSTUMES FOR "THE HOODED FALCON". SHORTLY THEREAFTER, HE WAS HIRED BY CECIL B deMILLE AND THEN, VERY SHORTLY, MOVED TO METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER WHERE HE REMAINED FOR OVER 13 YEARS AND 200 FILMS.
ADRIAN WORKED WITH THE BIGGEST STARS IN HOLLYWOOD: GRETA GARBO, NORMA SHEARER, JEANETTE MacDONALD, JEAN HARLOW, KATHERINE HEPBURN, AND JOAN CRAWFORD. HE DESIGNED TWENTY-EIGHT CRAWFORD FILMS, EIGHTEEN SHEARER FILMS, AND NINE HARLOW FILMS.
HE WORKED WITH GARBO FROM 1928 UNTIL 1941, WHEN THEY BOTH DEPARTED MGM.
THOUGH THE UNMARRIED ADRIAN WAS RUMORED TO BE GAY, HE MARRIED JANET GAYNOR ON AUGUST 14, 1939, AND THEY REMAINED MARRIED UNTIL HIS UNTIMELY DEATH IN 1959.
THIS DRAWING WAS EXECUTED DURING THEIR MEXICAN HONEYMOON IN 1939.
ADRIAN'S FINAL COSTUME DESIGNS WERE FOR THE BROADWAY MUSICAL "CAMELOT" STARRING RICHARD BURTON AND JULIE ANDREWS.
PLEASE NOTE:PERSONAL PHOTOGRAPH FEATURING MARY MARTIN, JANET GAYNOR AND MYSELF (JAMES L. TUMBLIN) IS NOT INCLUDED WITH THIS SALE.
PAYMENT - VIA PAY PAL - IS DUE WITHIN 2 DAYS AT END OF AUCTION.
PLEASE REVIEW PHOTOS & EMAIL WITH QUESTIONS.