--- title: "103 - The Petty Girl, Petty 6/29-7/26 1985" date: 2017-08-21T13:12:00-04:00 author: Graham Murray canonical_url: "https://feldmangallery.com/exhibition/103-the-petty-girl-petty-6-29-7-26-1985" section: Exhibition --- [![Ronald Feldman Gallery logo](/src/images/rff_logo.svg)](/) ![](/src/images/search.svg) View Artists Search Artists [Exhibitions](/feature_exhibitions) [Past Exhibitions](/past_exhibitions/) [Artists](/artist_overview) [News & Press](/news_overview) [Inventory](https://www.artsy.net/ronald-feldman-gallery/artists) [Publications](/feature_publications) [Gallery Info](/about) [Contact](/contact) [![Facebook](/src/images/fb.svg)](https://www.facebook.com/RonaldFeldmanGallery/) [![Instagram](/src/images/ig.svg)](https://www.instagram.com/feldmangallery/) [![Twitter](/src/images/tw.svg)](https://twitter.com/feldmangallery?lang=en) [Artsy](https://www.artsy.net/ronald-feldman-gallery) [Artnet](http://www.artnet.com/galleries/ronald-feldman-fine-arts/) ![](/src/images/close_btn.svg) ![](/src/images/close_btn.svg)Artists [ View With Images ](/artist_overview) Jump to: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A [ Arakawa ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/arakawa-) [ Conrad Atkinson ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/conrad-atkinson) [ Eleanor Antin ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/eleanor-antin) [ Ida Applebroog ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/ida-applebroog-) [ Jim Anderson ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/jim-anderson-) B [ Alexander Brodsky ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/alexander-brodsky) [ Brandon Ballengée ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/brandon-balleng%C3%A9e) [ Brodsky & Utkin ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/brodsky-utkin) [ Chris Burden ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/chris-burden-) [ Joseph Beuys ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/joseph-beuys) C [ Cassils ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/cassils) [ Keith Cottingham ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/keith-cottingham) [ Nancy Chunn ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/nancy-chun) D [ Eric Dyer ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/eric-dyer) [ Milena Dopitová ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/milena-dopitova) F [ Carl Fudge ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/carl-fudge) [ Terry Fox ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/terry-fox) G [ Leon Golub ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/leon-golub-) [ Rico Gatson ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/rico-gatson) [ Yishay Garbasz ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/yishay-garbasz) H [ Cameron Hayes ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/cameron-hayes) [ Christine Hill ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/christine-hill) [ Helen Mayer & Newton Harrison ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/helen-mayer-harrison-newton-harrison) [ Kelly Heaton ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/kelly-heaton) [ Margaret Harrison ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/margaret-harrison) [ Shih Chieh Huang ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/shih-chieh-huang) J [ Simone Jones ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/simone-jones) K [ Brian Knep ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/brian-knep) [ Komar & Melamid ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/komar-melamid) [ Peggy Jarrell Kaplan ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/peggy-jarrell-kaplan) [ Vitaly Komar ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/vitaly-komar) L [ Kim Levin ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/kim-levin-) M [ McCarren/Fine ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/mccarren-fine) O [ Pepón Osorio ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/pep%C3%B3n-osorio) [ The Oakes Twins ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/the-oakes-twins) P [ Bruce Pearson ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/bruce-pearson) [ Panamarenko ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/panamarenko) R [ Fredric Riskin ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/fredric-riskin-1) [ Richard Ross ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/richard-ross) S [ Diemut Strebe ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/diemut-strebe) [ Edwin Schlossberg ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/edwin-schlossberg) [ Federico Solmi ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/federico-solmi-) [ Jason Salavon ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/jason-salavon) [ Todd Siler ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/todd-siler) U [ Mierle Laderman Ukeles ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/mierle-laderman-ukeles) V [ Sam Van Aken ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/sam-van-aken) W [ Allan Wexler ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/allan-wexler) [ Andy Warhol ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/andy-warhol) [ Clemens Weiss ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/clemens-weiss) [ Hannah Wilke ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/hannah-wilke) Y [ Gil Yefman ](https://feldmangallery.com/artist-home/gil-yefman) [ ![Ronald Feldman Gallery logo](/src/images/rff_logo.svg) ](/) The Petty Girl George Petty Jun 28 – Jul 25, 1985 ![Petty Hero Image1](/assets/hero_images/_1600x800_crop_top-center_75_none/Petty-Hero-Image1.jpg) George Petty "Oh yuh would, would yuh?", 1935 Description In 1933, the first issue of *Esquire* magazine carried the first two Petty Girl cartoons, which were an immediate success. By 1935, while still producing cartoons for every issue of *Esquire*, George Petty had acquired large advertising accounts like Old Gold Cigarettes, Jantzen and the Ice Capades. At first, the Petty Girl was the darling of the fraternity men. Then she became the most famous pinup of World War II. In the 1940's, due to an economic dispute with *Esquire*, the Vargas girl (based on the Petty Girl) replaced the Petty Girl in the magazine. In the 50's, more explicit and hardcore pornography began to make the Petty Girl look dated. She did survive and make infrequent appearances in one form or another up until 1973. The Petty Girl has become true Americana, and perhaps this is a proper moment to evaluate her impact and meaning in our culture. This retrospective contains approximately 100 original works in watercolors, airbrush and collages by George Petty. [ ![](/src/images/down-arrow.svg) View Press Release ](https://feldmangallery.com/assets/pdfs/artistCV/exhpet80_press.pdf) ![Petty Owned 4](/assets/exhibition_images/Petty-Owned_4.JPG) George Petty "C-A-L-L me back in T-E-N M-I-N-U-T-E-S", 1938 View Gallery ![](https://feldmangallery.com//src/images/close_btn.svg) ![Petty Owned 4]() ![](https://feldmangallery.com//src/images/arrow-right.svg) 1 2 3 ![](https://feldmangallery.com//src/images/arrow-right.svg) George Petty "C-A-L-L me back in T-E-N M-I-N-U-T-E-S", 1938 ![Petty Owned 5]() ![](https://feldmangallery.com//src/images/arrow-right.svg) 1 2 3 ![](https://feldmangallery.com//src/images/arrow-right.svg) George Petty True, 1947 ![Petty Owned 1]() ![](https://feldmangallery.com//src/images/arrow-right.svg) 1 2 3 ![](https://feldmangallery.com//src/images/arrow-right.svg) George Petty "Oh yuh would, would yuh?", 1935 Ronald Feldman Gallery has been at the frontier of contemporary art since 1971. The gallery is located in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City and exhibits performance, photography, new media, film, painting, drawing and sculpture. Sign up to receive email updates [Exhibitions](/feature_exhibitions) [Artists](/artist_overview) [Press & News](/news_overview) [Contact](/contact) [About](/about) [Privacy Policy](https://www.iubenda.com/privacy-policy/41599251) [Cookie Policy](https://www.iubenda.com/privacy-policy/41599251/cookie-policy) [ADA Compliance Statement](https://dashboard.accessibe.com/statement?license=619a6a548dbc2f0444ae1886) 31 Mercer Street New York, NY 10013 Office Hours: Monday - Friday: 10:00am - 6:00pm Exhibition Viewing Hours: Tuesday - Thursday, Saturday 1:00pm - 5:00pm phone [212-226-3232](tel:212-226-3232) [ ![Facebook](/src/images/fb.svg)](https://www.facebook.com/RonaldFeldmanGallery/) [ ![Instagram](/src/images/ig.svg)](https://www.instagram.com/feldmangallery/) [ ![Twitter](/src/images/tw.svg)](https://twitter.com/feldmangallery?lang=en) ![Ronald Feldman Gallery logo](/src/images/rff_logo_footer.svg) ![Ronald Feldman Gallery logo](/src/images/rff_logo_footer_phone.svg)Copyright © 2026 Ronald Feldman Gallery