Miss Sylvania 

Gil Elvgren painted ‘Miss Sylvania’ in the mid-twentieth century, during his prolific career as a pin-up artist. This particular oil painting reflects the cultural norms and ideals of feminine beauty that prevailed in post-war America. Elvgren’s work was central to advertising campaigns that aimed to generate consumer desire in a booming economy. The figure’s coy smile and carefully arranged gown exude a playful sexuality. What's interesting here is how the artwork seems to comment on its own production. The blank easel suggests the artist, Elvgren, who frames and constructs this feminine ideal. The title, ‘Miss Sylvania,’ reminds us that this is a commercial image, made for Sylvania Electric Products. Historians of art and advertising can use sources such as magazines, company records, and popular culture ephemera to explore the relationship between art, commerce, and the construction of gender roles in this period. The meaning of art is always contingent on social and institutional context.