Check and Double Check by Gil Elvgren

Associating sartorial refinement with playful reflection, the fascinating artwork designated by the name “Check and Double Check” testifies to the immense diversity of pin-up imagery. Under the brushstrokes of the brilliant Gil Elvgren, the viewer discovers a mischievous heroine immersed in a puzzle game. This image perfectly illustrates the creator’s talent for mixing worldly elegance with a spirit of open camaraderie. The theatrical setting adds a majestic dimension to this moment of entertainment.

In the center of a room bathed in dramatic lighting, an elegant blonde young woman is participating in a game of checkers. She is majestically kneeling on a thick, immaculately white rug, dressed in a sumptuous light cocktail dress that is lifted widely. Her lascivious pose reveals her long legs dressed in translucent black stockings and lovely pale shoes. With one hand placed delicately near her mouth, she observes the two-tone board strewn with red and black pawns with a haughty and thoughtful pout. The back of the room is hidden by heavy deep red curtains that frame the scene. The cast shadow of her silhouette on the carpet strongly accentuates the impression of three-dimensionality.

The artist’s excellence lies in his hyper-realistic transcription of heavy textiles and gossamer veils. Oil paint is manipulated with dizzying ease to capture the brilliance of satin and the dullness of velvet. This meticulous care given to materials honors the great classical pictorial tradition.