The Pin-Up style is beginning to take its place in modern culture as well
Development of the style
The Pin-Up culture of the cute "cover girl" originated back in the 19th century with the light hand of Charles Dana Gibson, an American illustrator. In his works, he depicted confident girls, slender and incredibly attractive.
The phenomenon was called "Gibson Girl" and became the first standard of beauty, immediately supported by fashion magazine publishers. Together with Howard Christie, Gibson in 1889 created the image of a girl for the Coca-Cola company.
And soon, on numerous posters and billboards, covers and spreads, elegant young ladies appeared surrounded by ordinary things or engaged in everyday activities. The girls who posed for pin-up style paintings were famous actresses, models, recognized sex symbols of their time. This direction in art is hard to imagine without the vivid images of Betty Grable, Marilyn Monroe, or Rita Hayworth.
In 1934, the reputable magazine Esquire published works by George Petty. His illustrations depicted smiling, half-naked beauties. Later they became known as Petty Girls. They could be seen during World War II on the fuselages of American fighters and bombers. This difficult time unexpectedly turned out to be quite successful for pin-up. Images of cute girls were applied to military equipment, lighters, playing cards. They also did not leave the pages of magazines.
The beauties from the covers delighted soldiers, gradually becoming their ideal. And for many women, this style was already a role model. This trend was fully reflected in Christian Dior's "New Look" style: a thin waist and seductive curves in the chest and hips.
Until the 60s of the last century, major publications published slightly nude images. Understatement and a hint of sexual subtext were in great demand. In cheap magazines and the yellow press, to attract a readership, images of girls in more frivolous outfits and poses were placed.
The meaning of Pin-Up culture
Despite the obvious commercial background, this style is considered one of the directions of art. The work of its founders seriously influenced the further development of modern painting.
Today, an exact reproduction of the style is rare. Only in fashion salons, at themed parties, celebrations, or in music videos.