Zagnut: A 1940s Halloween Scene
One of my favorite things to paint is Halloween decor and ephemera: looking back at the things that survived, each decade has its own particular feel. There’s the crepe-festooned charm of 1900s-1910s ephemera, exemplified by the publication of the Bogie Books. The late 60s and early 70s introduced the uncanny creepiness of Ben Cooper costumes, wherein children wore sculpted masks of pop culture icons (like Wonder Woman and Tattoo from “Fantasy Island”) alongside plastic smocks portraying the vague likeness of the same character.
The Halloween iconography of the 1940s was interesting in that it included the paper-based lanterns of earlier decades alongside more mass-market treats and tin items made in Japan. The paper-mache lantern in this piece is one of the rarest and most sought-after examples of the form. I hope this haunting of decades past brings you a peculiar kind of joy.
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If you do decide to welcome him into your home, remember to choose your desired Size in the Drop-Down menu.
Giclee print on bright white 245g textured watercolor fine art paper. It has a matte finish and a bit of tooth to it, and is highly durable (made from poly cotton fiber).
Acid and Lignin-free (Lignins acidify paper as they degrade over time).
One of my favorite things to paint is Halloween decor and ephemera: looking back at the things that survived, each decade has its own particular feel. There’s the crepe-festooned charm of 1900s-1910s ephemera, exemplified by the publication of the Bogie Books. The late 60s and early 70s introduced the uncanny creepiness of Ben Cooper costumes, wherein children wore sculpted masks of pop culture icons (like Wonder Woman and Tattoo from “Fantasy Island”) alongside plastic smocks portraying the vague likeness of the same character.
The Halloween iconography of the 1940s was interesting in that it included the paper-based lanterns of earlier decades alongside more mass-market treats and tin items made in Japan. The paper-mache lantern in this piece is one of the rarest and most sought-after examples of the form. I hope this haunting of decades past brings you a peculiar kind of joy.
———————————————
If you do decide to welcome him into your home, remember to choose your desired Size in the Drop-Down menu.
Giclee print on bright white 245g textured watercolor fine art paper. It has a matte finish and a bit of tooth to it, and is highly durable (made from poly cotton fiber).
Acid and Lignin-free (Lignins acidify paper as they degrade over time).
One of my favorite things to paint is Halloween decor and ephemera: looking back at the things that survived, each decade has its own particular feel. There’s the crepe-festooned charm of 1900s-1910s ephemera, exemplified by the publication of the Bogie Books. The late 60s and early 70s introduced the uncanny creepiness of Ben Cooper costumes, wherein children wore sculpted masks of pop culture icons (like Wonder Woman and Tattoo from “Fantasy Island”) alongside plastic smocks portraying the vague likeness of the same character.
The Halloween iconography of the 1940s was interesting in that it included the paper-based lanterns of earlier decades alongside more mass-market treats and tin items made in Japan. The paper-mache lantern in this piece is one of the rarest and most sought-after examples of the form. I hope this haunting of decades past brings you a peculiar kind of joy.
———————————————
If you do decide to welcome him into your home, remember to choose your desired Size in the Drop-Down menu.
Giclee print on bright white 245g textured watercolor fine art paper. It has a matte finish and a bit of tooth to it, and is highly durable (made from poly cotton fiber).
Acid and Lignin-free (Lignins acidify paper as they degrade over time).