• Lopez, Antonio. (1943 - 1987) Ladies Invited – Design for J. Geils Album cover, 1973
  • Lopez, Antonio. (1943 - 1987) Ladies Invited – Design for J. Geils Album cover, 1973
  • Lopez, Antonio. (1943 - 1987) Ladies Invited – Design for J. Geils Album cover, 1973

Lopez, Antonio. (1943 - 1987) Ladies Invited – Design for J. Geils Album cover, 1973

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Lopez, Antonio. (1943 - 1987)
Ladies Invited – Design for J. Geils Album cover, 1973
Oil pastel and acrylic on paper

Striking original work by the leading fashion illustrator whose work appeared in such publications as Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, Interview and The New York Times. Ladies Invited, c. 1973.  Signed "Antonio" l.l., inscribed "#10" l.r. Mixed media with oil pastel and acrylic on paper with Aussedat blindstamp, 25 1/4 x 20 in., framed.  Provenance: The estate of J. Geils. 

A variant of the present work appeared as the cover of the fifth album  - title Ladies Invited - by American rock band The J. Geils Band, released in 1973.  The model for the cover artwork was reportedly the actress Faye Dunaway, who married lead singer Peter Wolf the following year.  A copy of the released LP is included with the present original painting. 

In his influential designs, frequently Lopez explored themes of queer desire and race in his art through cultural references to subjects such as Josephine Baker and The Wild One. Several books collecting his illustrations have been published and in his obituary, the New York Times called him a "major fashion illustrator." Working in close collaboration with Juan Eugene Ramos and Charles James, he also was an associate of Karl Lagerfeld and is credited with the discoveries of Jessica Lange, Jerry Hall and Grace Jones. As seen here, he generally signed his works as "Antonio." He died at the age of 43 from Kaposi's Sarcoma as a complication of AIDS. His work is seldom encountered on the market and this is a fine example with extraordinary provenance.