Brahma's Golden Egg

'Brahma,

says Hindu tradition,

created the Universe from a golden egg.

First he made the waters and in them put a seed.

It grew into an egg, which Brahma split open.

From the golden half came the heavens,

from the silver half, Earth.

From the egg came all creation.'

If I were given the above passage as an assignment for an illustration, I don't know that I'd feel it could be captured in a small rendering . Yet it was, in an elegant solution from an artist that, I'm sorry to say, I haven't yet identified—since the image was floating around in my image morgue.

The Girl You Love to Look At

This beauty surfaced from the swimsuit file in my pictorial morgue. From May, 1941, this ad illustrated by Esquire's Alberto Vargas ran in Life magazine, reaching millions of households . . . and that's how some artists became household names.

The Old Fairy Tale Style

Some renderings visualize nature spirits as being more malevolent and crass.

This somewhat disturbing image, dripping with sexual innuendo, was a commissioned illustration by Kinuko Craft, for an adult version of Goblin Market, so don't blame her for its content. But it's a lovely execution in the old fairy tale style.

This image is a small print in my pictorial morgue, but it was originally an illustration for Playboy in 1973.

Advice for the Image Morgue

I remember, years ago, one of those Walter Foster books on cartooning, gave advice for collecting pictures for the image morgue. The guy said, y'know, collect pictures of everything you might need — lawnmowers and lampposts, buckets and barstools—not just the things you have a weakness for, like (in his case) pretty girls and streamlined trains.

My picture morgue has diversity alright, but I too have a weakness—for pretty girls and galaxies as seen from other worlds. I hardly ever find the two subjects together, but here at least I get double the galaxy— a cool painting by David A. Hardy of colliding galaxies seen over a civilization influenced by their privileged view. Hardy's website can be found here.

Blonde Venus

Stunning and clever art direction:

1932

The "swipe file" reference:

Avalanche

Another item from the image morgue, filed under 'trees' for heaven sake, which is where I'm guessing the previous Booth drawing must have been as well.

A mysterious drawing by Luis Royo with the incongruous appellation 'Avalanche'.

Luis Royo — Avalanche

Valley of Silence

I found this 1911 Franklin Booth drawing floating around loose in the image morgue. Ya never know what'll turn up in dat ol' morgue.

Franklin Booth — Valley of Silence — 1911

X-treme

The previous post reminded me of this X-treme guy that's been hanging out in my image morgue for some years now. Sorry, I don't have a credit or provenance for it, other than it's from a design periodical.

Home Furnishings

Here is an oddball entry in my image morgue, filed under 'home furnishings'.

This rosewood bed, encrusted with silver and the figures made of bronze, was created for Nawab Muhammad Bahawal Khan Abbasi V of Bahawalpur in 1883. The four figures at the corners represent women of France, Spain, Italy and Greece. With clever mechanisms, the statues were able to wink and wave fans and fly whisks. No flys on this Khan.

Below, before being dispatched to India, this rendering in gouache was made of the bed. To add to its other attributes, the bed was fitted with a music box that played a thirty minute interlude from Gounod's Faust, activated by a button.

Merlin's Cottage

I believe this is Merlin's cottage. The sense of place and reality is really perfect, with a feeling of believable magic (arcane science). The architectural elements are brilliant. This is where I'd want to live as an ancient wizard. My mind's eye is agoggle as I imagine the interior of the cottage and what wonders might reside there.

One of my favoritist images ever, tucked away in my morgue, with no information on the artist. I know I should know who it is, but I can't place it. Can anyone help me with that?

Okay, here's the update: This lovely painting is by Charles Frizzell, who has a website that shows this piece and more. Thanks to Marc for the info and thanks to Charles for the idyllic daydreams.