Little is known about Jules Erbit, but this master of pastels was one of the most prolific pin- up artists from the 1930s into the 1950s. His lovely women grace calendars, posters and prints, published by C. Moss, Brown & Bigelow, and others.

Bathing-suit beauties are rare among the works of Erbit, who specialized in more sedate, but nonetheless sensual images. Erbit typifies the glamour approach a characteristic Erbit pin-up features a lovely woman in a gown leaning against the rail of a ship, or lounging in a garden. It's a soft-focus, flowers-in-the-hair world.

The artist's Masterful use of pastels for his radiant beauties puts him securely in the camp Rolf Armstrong followers; but, unlike Billy De Vorss, Erbit has his own immediately distinctive style. Where Erbit most resembles Armstrong is in the size of the (few known surviving) originals massive works, they typically measure 14" by 31".

Source: http://scandols.com/artists.htm

Born in Budapest, Hungary on April 5, 1889, Jules Erbit studied at the Budapest Academy of Art, and further studied in Munich and Paris. For several years he worked in Budapest with sculptor George Zala.

Erbit sculpted the bust of the last monarch of Hungary, King Charles IV, and a number of statues for Budapest's parks. He fled to New York City at the time of the Communist take-over and established a portrait studio.

Shortly thereafter, he moved to California and continued as a portrait painter in Hollywood and Santa Barbara. One year was spent on the Monterey Peninsula in the mid-1940s, and in 1957 he settled there.

He died at his home in Carmel on Dec. 10, 1968.